LAURIE Daley’s 52-man shortlist for the NSW side has been revealed, leaving plenty of room for selection debate as he and Peter Sterling try to strike a winning formula.

Undoubtedly loyalty will play a role and many of the incumbents from the Blues’ 18-14 win in game three last year will get a chance to back it up in Brisbane for game one on May 31.

No doubt that 17 will bear some resemblance to the formlines on display so far this season but invariably there will be players banging down Daley’s door who miss the cut.

That won’t be the case in the foxsports.com.au NSW 17 picked on form.

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To make sure we get it right, we’ve enlisted the help of the Fox Sports Lab to run the rule over every member of Daley’s 52-man shortlist.

The results are explained below.

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FULLBACK

Incumbent: James Tedesco

Other contenders: Tom Trbojevic, Jack Wighton, Matt Moylan, Lachlan Coote, Josh Dugan

Our pick: Tedesco

Based on form alone, the NSW No.1 jersey is a three-way battle between Tedesco, Trbojevic and Moylan. All three have made electric starts to the season, with the incumbent bolstering his case with a huge performance in his side’s loss against the Eels, which included 236 running metres, two try assists and a couple of forced drop outs. Wighton and Trbojevic have arguably outshone him across the seven rounds, which is why we’ve found a spot for both of them on the wings.

James Tedesco has had an excellent start to the season. Source: News Corp Australia

WINGS

Incumbents: Blake Ferguson, Josh Mansour

Other contenders: Brett Morris, Daniel Tupou, Akuila Uate

Our picks: Trbojevic, Wighton

The prototype of the modern Origin winger is a big bodied strong kick returner who is comfortable under the high ball, has excellent finishing ability and goes infield looking for work. Trbojevic and Wighton tick all of those boxes and each have more tries, try assists and linebreaks than Tedesco, who, as a smaller, more evasive style runner, is not as well suited to the flanks. Morris, Tupou and Uate are Daley’s only out and out wingers under consideration and none of those contenders have started their season on the same level as the pair we’ve gone for.

Tom Trbojevic is a rising superstar. Source: AAP

CENTRES

Incumbents: Michael Jennings, Josh Dugan

Other contenders: Jack Bird, Jarrod Croker, Jarryd Hayne, Michael Jennings, Joey Leilua, Josh Morris, Tyrone Peachey, James Roberts, Dylan Walker

Our picks: Peachey, Roberts

After a hot start to the season, Peachey’s form has cooled a touch but he still leads all the contenders in average running metres (141), tackle busts (32), and linebreaks (six). He narrowly holds off Josh Morris, Jarrod Croker and Michael Jennings out of the contenders who play on the left edge, with his ability to switch to the back-row an added bonus.

On the right edge it’s just about a flip of the coin between the red hot James Roberts and Joey Leilua. Roberts just gets the nod, leading Leilua in tries (7-6), average running metres (114-102), linebreaks (5-3), while also making less errors and conceding less penalties.

FIVE-EIGHTH

Incumbent: Matt Moylan

Other contenders: James Maloney, Blake Austin, Luke Keary, Josh Reynolds

Our pick: Keary

An outstanding buy for the Roosters, Keary currently sits second on the Dally M Medal leaderboard and with good reason. His three tries, four linebreaks, 11 linebreak assists and eight try assists puts him at the top of all four of those key attacking measures among Daley’s contenders for the No.6 jersey.

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HALFBACK

Incumbent: James Maloney

Other contenders: Mitchell Pearce, Adam Reynolds, Aidan Sezer

Our pick: Pearce

Keary wouldn’t have had the season he’s had so far if not for Pearce, who is arguably in career best form. His running game is back to its best and his long kicking game has also been good. The only argument against his inclusion would be his short kicking game — he has forced just two drop outs so far this season, compared with seven from Reynolds and three from Maloney.

Mitchell Pearce is making a compelling case to be back in the NSW side. Source: AAP

LOCK

Incumbent: Tyson Frizell

Other contenders: Jack De Belin, Dale Finucane, David Klemmer, Trent Merrin, Jake Trbojevic

Our pick: De Belin

While Frizell has been a key part of the Dragons’ well oiled machine, he’s better suited to an edge, with his impressive teammate Jack De Belin wearing the No.13 jersey for the Red V. And he’s done it superbly, averaging over 100 metres per game and making almost 34 tackles per outing. While he doesn’t have the metre eating capacity of Klemmer, his ability to bust tackles and offload adds an extra dimension to his side’s attack, just giving him the nod ahead of the scowling Bulldog and Manly’s Trbojevic.

Jack De Belin is having a breakout season for the Dragons. Source: News Corp Australia

SECOND ROW

Incumbents: Josh Jackson, Wade Graham

Other contenders: Bryce Cartwright, Boyd Cordner, Tyson Frizell, Tepai Moeroa

Our picks: Cordner, Graham

Jackson won the Brad Fittler Medal as NSW’s best player across the 2016 series but even with a relatively strong start to this season backing that up, such is the depth in the Blues back-row he could easily find himself on the outer. The Roosters’ left edge has been singing and Cordner has been one of their best with his 145 metres per game and 11 tackle busts providing plenty of front foot ball. As a captaincy contender, Cordner’s a lock for the left edge occupied by Graham in game three last year but the versatile Cronulla premiership winner has also been in outstanding form.

Graham’s three tries, 21 tackle busts, six linebreaks, two linebreak assists and eight offloads puts him ahead of the other edge back-rowers in all of those areas and his defence has been ferocious. He’s adaptable enough to switch to the right, leaving Jackson and Frizell to fight it out for a bench spot.

PROPS

Incumbents: Aaron Woods, Paul Gallen

Other contenders: Shannon Boyd, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Andrew Fifita, Ryan James, Jordan McLean, Junior Paulo, Matt Prior, James Tamou, Paul Vaughan

Our picks: Vaughan, Fifita

Rarely do front-rowers poll among the top votegetters on the Dally M Medal leaderboard but such has Paul Vaughan’s impact been for the Dragons, he currently sits in the top five with eight points, just two behind St George Illawarra’s star half Gareth Widdop. Averages of 145 running metres and 28 tackles per game and a whopping 19 tackle busts will do that and it’s form that shouldn’t be ignored by NSW selectors.

Fifita hasn’t had the headlines this season, perhaps a good thing for a polarising figure like him, but his form hasn’t dropped from his grand final heroics last year. Although he plays less minutes than the likes of Aaron Woods, he packs more in, averaging more tackle busts, more offloads and just three running metres less per game. He also makes 25 tackles per game, putting him just behind Ryan James, Vaughan and James Tamou.

Paul Vaughan has helped the Dragons to the top of the ladder. Source: Getty Images

HOOKER

Incumbent: Robbie Farah

Other contenders: Damien Cook, Cameron McInnes, Nathan Peats, Peter Wallace

Our pick: McInnes

Once again Robbie Farah is a heavy favourite to retain his position and his form hasn’t been too bad, the problem is he’s 33 and playing just 55 minutes a game. His club role has opened the door for his Rabbitohs teammate Damien Cook, as well as Nathan Peats, Peter Wallace and Cameron McInnes.

More than the others, McInnes is the man who’s put his hand up with a huge defensive workload (he averages 41 tackles per game) that hasn’t blunted his attack. He leads the contenders for tries, tackle busts, linebreaks, linebreak assists and try assists and has made just one error all year.

The wildcard is Peats, who has managed just one start after picking up a pre-season injury, and made it count, playing an impressive 67 minutes against the Broncos that included a try assist. He needs another three or four weeks of consistent performances to be a true contender.

The Rabbitohs’ rotation strategy may cost Robbie Farah his NSW No.9 jersey. Source: News Corp Australia

BENCH

Incumbents: Jack Bird, James Tamou, David Klemmer, Andrew Fifita

Our picks: Jack Bird, Aaron Woods, Josh Jackson, David Klemmer

Daley picked a backline utility and three middle forwards on his bench for game three last year but we’ve tweaked that formula a touch, adding an edge backrower to the mix to give the side more flexibility. Bird, Woods, Jackson and Klemmer could all have easily made the starting side on form so they’re the logical additions to the bench, with Peachey and Graham’s starting side selections also good coverage for injuries in other positions.

— All statistics provided by Fox Sports Lab

NSW 17 PICKED ON FORM

1. James Tedesco



2. Tom Trbojevic

3. Tyrone Peachey

4. James Roberts

5. Jack Wighton

6. Luke Keary

7. Mitchell Pearce

8. Paul Vaughan

9. Cameron McInnes

10. Andrew Fifita

11. Boyd Cordner

12. Wade Graham

13. Jack De Belin

14. Jack Bird

15. Aaron Woods

16. Josh Jackson

17. David Klemmer

18th man: Jake Trbojevic

19th man: Tyson Frizell