The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will have three stars in State of Origin camp for the Game Three decider on Wednesday July 17.
Bulldogs Captain Stephen Crichton has once again been selected at centre while Matt Burton has been named 18th man for NSW. Hooker Reed Mahoney will spend the week in the Queensland camp after being named in the extended squad.
Crichton will make his ninth origin appearance after a brilliant first two games for NSW. The Bulldogs skipper was elevated to the Blues leadership group ahead of game two and showed his class in the game as he took an intercept and set Zac Lomax up for a try.
Matt Burton will join Origin camp as 18th man for the second time this year after he was named to the squad and joined the NSW camp for game one. The five-eighth has had a brilliant past two weeks after he kicked two golden-point winning field goals.
Burton wins it for the Dogs in a game for the ages!
After a superb season, Reed Mahoney will join the Queensland camp for the first time since 2021. Mahoney had a brilliant Origin audition against the Warriors making 69 tackles and getting a touch to deny a field goal attempt. The Bulldogs dummy-half leads the NRL in tackles with 836 this season and has the most try assists for a hooker, setting up 10 tries in 16 games.
Mahoney just gets a touch to it!
Speaking at a press conference today, Queensland coach Billy Slater praised Mahoney’s efforts this year:
“To be honest, we feel Reed's really earned this opportunity where the Bulldogs are sitting isn't any fluke, they're doing a lot right and Reed Mahoney’s a big part of that."
The trio will head into their respective Origin camps ahead of the decider next Wednesday, and the Bulldogs wish to congratulate them on their selection.
The 2024 State of Origin decider will kick off on Wednesday, July 17 with NSW and QLD set to battle it out at Suncorp stadium next week.
