NSW coach Brad Fittler has thrown Luke Keary well and truly into the mix for a State of Origin debut and is considering him as either a No.6 or No.7.
Sydney Roosters five-eighth Keary has taken his game to another level since his NRL grand final heroics last year, signalling he is ready to be considered one of the game’s blue chip playmakers.
Without Cooper Cronk by his side over the past fortnight, the 27-year-old has orchestrated victories over Manly and Parramatta.
Despite wearing the No.6 in both of the past two games, Keary has played at halfback with Latrell Mitchell starting at five-eighth.
And Fittler says he will consider Keary as a five-eighth and halfback option.
“The things Luke Keary does is he can play both positions,” Fittler told the Sunday Footy Show.
“He plays five-eighth really well, he played five-eighth when Souths won the comp, he played five-eighth for a couple of years outside Mitchell (Pearce), he’s been coached by Joey (Andew Johns), he knows exactly what to do as a five-eighth.
“But as we can see, he’s a brilliant halfback.”
At the same time, incumbent Blues playmakers Nathan Cleary and James Maloney have been below their personal best as Penrith have misfired in the opening three rounds – the Panthers are without a try in their past 115 minutes of football.
It was widely expected that Keary would place pressure on Maloney – who had an injury-riddled back half of 2018 – for the NSW No.6 jersey for this year’s Origin shield defence.
“Bring in the touch and the kicking under pressure, that is a job that has taken years and years of practice,” Fittler said.
“Spending that time with Cooper last year and nailing it in the grand final and doing whatever’s needed at the moment.
“He can play both positions, that’s where he’s going to put pressure on all of them.”