June 11, 2026 — 3:30pmNSW medicos have allayed concerns about Mitchell Moses’s fitness after he took no part in Thursday’s training session, which coach Laurie Daley initially dubbed D-Day for the injured playmaker.Moses was confined to the south-eastern corner of Morrie Breen Oval, on the NSW Central Coast, where he completed a series of stretching and running drills with Blues physio Kenny Michalopoulos.At no stage was Moses asked to fully test his injured left hamstring. There was also no urgency to have him join his Blues’ teammates in a session against NSW Cup team Mounties on a cool and damp morning, with Ethan Strange running at No. 6.Daley said at the start of the week he wanted Moses going full throttle by Thursday to ensure there were no disruptions to the team’s preparations and to allow Moses to focus solely on his football.“He’ll have to train flat-out on Thursday, so there’s no issue there – we probably won’t have him do all the sessions, but he’ll need to be going at full clip,” Daley said.However, Blues doctor Nathan Gibbs on Thursday told this masthead he was happy with Moses’ recovery. “Mitch had a really good session,” Gibbs said. “He got up to about 80 per cent speed, but also did some volume to get some conditioning under his belt.Mitchell Moses training on his own on Thursday.Getty Images“He’d due to go close to 100 per cent [speed] on Saturday and be incorporated into team training. His hammy feels good.“I’m confident [he will play] because of how minuscule the tear was. The tear was tiny. I would expect him to play three weeks later, which is effectively what we’re trying to do – it will be three weeks and two days next Wednesday since he [injured himself].”Moses pulled up tight in the hamstring two days out from Origin I while completing extras at the end of a Blues training session.He was expected to return for Parramatta against the Bulldogs last Monday, but was not named by the Eels. Sources with knowledge of the injury not authorised to talk publicly confirmed Moses pulled up tight in the days after the first Origin game, which put him slightly behind with his rehab.Ethan Strange at Blues training on Wednesday.Getty ImagesIn a sign of the Blues’ confidence Moses will be ready, team officials contacted the Dolphins late on Tuesday to inform them back-up playmaker Isaiya Katoa would be free to return to his club and play against the Roosters on Friday night.There is nothing stopping Katoa returning to the NSW squad – and joining the extended bench – should Moses be ruled out, especially given the five-day turnaround to the clash against Queensland.Centre Casey McLean was another notable absentee from Thursday’s session, but is also expected to feature on the weekend. McLean jarred his ankle against the Wests Tigers on the weekend and while scans cleared him of any serious damage, the 20-year-old was given a few extra days to rest.Gibbs said the number of nerves on the inside of the ankle meant McLean was unlikely to receive a painkilling injection before kick-off at the MCG.Hooker Api Koroisau, who last played for NSW in 2023, was keen to build some on-field combinations with Moses, and spoke of his excitement at reuniting with Cleary. Koroisau and Cleary won two premierships together at the Panthers, while Koroisau said he “had a front-row seat” to the Cleary masterclass he produced against his Tigers last weekend.“It’s disgusting [how much improvement he has made], it shouldn’t be OK in rugby league – honestly, he’s a level above [everyone else] at the moment,” Koroisau said.“He’s grown so much. He was already mature when I played with him a few years ago, but he’s gone to a new level. Everything he does turns to gold.”Back-rower Hudson Young celebrated his birthday on Thursday, with skipper Isaah Yeo making a point of refusing to take to the training paddock with the team until Young and Canberra teammate Strange returned from the sheds.More:State of OriginNSW BluesQueensland MaroonsNRL 2026From our partners