NRL.COM

The issue was raised in Friday night's Wests Tigers-Panthers clash with Fox League commentator Michael Ennis claiming "any time there was contact around the head area, players stayed down and they got the rewards".

Tigers fullback Daine Laurie got up smiling broadly after one such incident where he copped a slap to the face and remained face down on the turf before his team was awarded a penalty.

Isaako let in a try right on half-time where he allowed Dufty to sprint past him to ground a Corey Norman kick, eventually coming off with 15 minutes to go with three missed tackles and four errors to his name.

"A couple of the boys had tough nights with errors, it wasn't just Jamayne but he had a rough night at the office," Walters said.

"I just thought he was better off having a spell. Better for him and the side."

The slide started late in the first half and continued throughout the second.

Queensland's medical staff made the call on Ponga's groin injury on Wednesday morning, a week out from the June 9 series opener in Townsville.

Kalyn has been progressing with his rehab but time is against us and the decision has been made for him to return to the Newcastle Knights where he can focus on further recovery," team doctor Matt Hislop said in a QRL statement.

Wighton, the 2019 Clive Churchill Medal winner and 2020 Dally M Medalist, has been a mainstay of Blues teams since coming off the interchange to replace Cody Walker at five-eighth early in the second half of the 2019 series opener.

The 28-year-old has been selected in the centres for every Origin since but with Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell both fit and in form, Wighton had been expected to play in the No.6 jersey.

Walters identified Brisbane’s lack of Queensland star power when he arrived at Red Hill and the departure of winger Xavier Coates next year to Melbourne will leave the Broncos without a current Maroons Origin player in their ranks.

Walters has already signed 2020 Maroons centre Brenko Lee for next season, but is keen to add more Maroons with off-contract duo Gagai and Capewell top of his "Kevolution" hit list in Brisbane.

The NSW skipper watched in a groggy haze last November as Maroons opposite Daly Cherry-Evans clapped back at a media barb Queensland took with them right through to a historic series upset.

Tedesco insists there is no "bad blood" between he and Maroons forward Jai Arrow, whose manhandling of the sky blue star after he copped a knee from Josh Papalii dominated fallout from the 2020 decider.

Kaufusi was facing a match on the sideline after incurring a grade-one charge at the judiciary for appearing to kick out at Jake Turpin in last Thursday's win over the Broncos.

Such an act would usually only result in a fine but two non-similar offences in the past two years meant Kaufui's Origin jersey was on the line as he fronted a hearing via video link on Tuesday night.

As is the case almost every year the Blues are expected to start favourite, but that matters little once the whistle is blown.

With doubts remaining over some key Maroons players, the experts at NRL.com have had their say on who they think will emerge victorious in the first Origin match played in Townsville.

Experts' view - Who'll win Origin I

Steve Renouf (Maroons legend)

The 24-year-old fullback, who has starred for Melbourne in the absence of the injured Ryan Papenhuzen in recent weeks, will join Cronulla at the end of the year on a deal running through to the 2024 season.

"I love the Melbourne Storm and deciding to leave was one of the toughest decisions I've had to make in my life," Hynes said.

"Storm has made me who I am not only on the field but off the field as well. All the coaches and players have not only been great supporters of my rugby league career, but also the journey I'm on in my life."

Mitchell is back in sky-blue for the first time since being controversially dumped after 2019's Suncorp Stadium loss, and had little interest in rehashing his subsequent falling-out with Fittler on his first day in NSW camp.

Fittler and Mitchell are back on good terms with his form for South Sydney under Bennett impossible to ignore after they first cleared the air late last year.