Boyd Cordner

Former NSW No.1 Minichiello admitted he was gutted by the news that ex-Sydney Roosters teammate Cordner had been ruled out of this year's Origin series by coach Brad Fittler as the veteran backrower planned his NRL return from a head knock suffered in the 2020 interstate opener.

Sidelined since Origin I late last year due to concussion concerns, Cordner had been preparing to make his long-awaited return and run out for the Roosters by round 14 but won't be considered by Fittler for the entire Origin series starting on June 9.

Cordner has been limited to just 30 games for the Roosters over the past two years due to knee and pec injuries, with the former also impacting his ability to train at full capacity

As the current NSW Origin and Roosters co-captain Cordner is one of the biggest names off-contract in 2018, with Angus Chrichton's scheduled arrival from the Rabbitohs next season fuelling speculation that Cordner may have been on the outer.

The traditional rivals are the last two nations standing after England survived a furious Tonga comeback on Saturday.

While Wayne Bennett's side have bounced back from their tournament-opening loss to Australia with four straight wins, they will start as overwhelming underdogs in Brisbane.

With speculation growing louder that this will be Laurie Daley's final series as coach of New South Wales, the question was put to him as to whose shoulders the responsibility for the loss should fall on.

As Daley moved to defend the 17-man playing group that he had shepherded through this Holden State of Origin Series by accepting the entirety of the blame himself, Cordner spoke up for the first time in the post-match press conference to stand in front of the bullet.

The powerful Roosters back-rower was the logical choice following the representative retirement of long-serving Origin talisman Paul Gallen.

The 24-year-old trails only Brad Fittler and current Origin coach Laurie Daley in terms of the youngest Blues Origin skippers but is a natural leader who has long seemed old beyond his years.

Addressing media at The Star following the team announcement on Monday night, Cordner said the honour "means the world" to him.

And his first call once he spoke to Daley was to his father Chris.

Cordner was recently named Roosters co-captain along with last year's skipper Jake Friend, and it hasn't taken long for his name to be thrown into the ring to take over from Gallen at State of Origin level as well. 

Who are the game's elite second-rowers going into the 2017 season? The NRL.com team got together and settled on the following five players.

5. Matt Gillett

2016 stats: 81.2 metres per game, 38 tackles per game, 38 tackle breaks

NSW coach Laurie Daley has yet to decide on who will captain the state in 2017 after Gallen stepped down from Blues duties following this year's series loss.

However if it was up to him, it would go to one of his first-choice second-rowers.

Blues prop Aaron Woods is considered the front-runner to fill the role after appearing at the turning of the first sod at the Blues' new spiritual home in Homebush last month.

The Taree product has played all five of his Origins to date – three last year, the 2014 Game Three dead rubber and the losing 2013 decider – off the bench, for just one win so far.

With a clean out of sorts in the NSW forward pack this year with the likes of Beau Scott, Ryan Hoffman and Trent Merrin joining Luke Lewis and Anthony Watmough in being moved on by Blues coach Laurie Daley, Cordner finds himself named to start in his sixth interstate appearance and is relishing the opportunity.