An avalanche of criticism is pouring down on the Blues after they were badly beaten in State of Origin II - and among the answers being demanded is why Damien Cook was Brad Fittler's go-to man when Tom Trbojevic went down.
When the New South Wales superstar tore his right pectoral muscle while tackling Queensland fullback Reece Walsh just two minutes into the Suncorp Stadium clash, won by the Maroons 32-6, bench forward Cameron Murray was undoubtedly the most logical option to slot into the centres.?
Lock Isaah Yeo? was also available for the Blues brain trust.
LIVE UPDATES: State of Origin I?
But Fittler and his helpers made a call that's copping a fierce lashing, shifting Stephen Crichton from left centre to right centre and throwing in Cook at left centre.
?Murray has won games playing in the centres for South Sydney and is being courted by the Wallabies to play at inside centre in green and gold, while Yeo has had success in the centres with the Panthers.
Watch the 2023 State of Origin series LIVE and exclusive on Channel 9 and 9Now
So the decision to call Cook off the bench and drop him in at left centre left onlookers astounded.
Legendary NSW coach Phil Gould was among those baffled by the call.?
"That's unfortunate," Gould said of the Trbojevic injury on Nine's half-time coverage.
"But I don't know why that was the option if an outside back was to go down. I mean, you're really looking for a back-rower who can handle it out there. In the old days it was a Steve Menzies or an Angus Crichton back in the day. You've got Hudson, you've got Yeo, Cameron Murray can cover those positions.
"I would have thought Damien Cook was one of their big attacking players coming off the bench. That's why they started with Reece Robson. Get Damien Cook onto the field and then start playing through the middle. Well that's now gone; Damien Cook's been out there tackling in the centres."
MORE TO COME.?
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!