SYDNEY - Parramatta teenager Eric Grothe and North Queensland centre Paul Bowman were the surprise call-ups as five debutants were yesterday named to play in the first State of Origin rugby league match.
Grothe joins up with Newcastle's Adam MacDougall on the New South Wales wing, despite playing his first top-grade
match only last season.
Grothe is following in the footsteps of his famous father, Eric, who played on the wing for New South Wales and Australia in the early 1980s.
Cowboys centre Bowman, aged 24, upstaged his North Queensland centre partner Julian O'Neill to grab a hotly contested Queensland centre berth alongside the Bulldogs' Darren Smith.
The other Queensland debutant is Melbourne forward Russell Bawden, who will start off the Maroons' bench at Stadium Australia on Wednesday, May 10.
Melbourne's test halfback Brett Kimmor-ley will make his debut with the NSW team, taking over from the injured Andrew Johns, who missed selection.
St George-Illawarra centre Shaun Timmins also gets his first game for New South Wales after having played in last year's Tri- Nations test series and the recent Anzac test for Australia.
NSW: Robbie Ross, Adam MacDougall, Ryan Girdler, Shaun Timmins, Eric Grothe, Brad Fittler (captain), Brett Kimmorley, Scott Hill, Bryan Fletcher, Ben Kennedy, Rodney Howe, Geoff Toovey, Robbie Kearns. Reserves: Terry Hill, David Furner, Michael Vella, Jason Stevens.
Queensland: Darren Lockyer, Mat Rogers, Paul Bowman, Darren Smith, Wendell Sailor, Ben Ikin, Adrian Lam (captain), Jason Smith, Brad Thorn, Gorden Tallis, Martin Lang, Jason Hetherington, Shane Webcke. Reserves: Paul Green, Tonie Carroll, Russell Bawden, Steve Price.
* Kiwi prop Craig Smith and St George-Illawarra team-mate Wayne Bartrim could miss the National Rugby League match against Auckland on Saturday after each was charged yesterday with a careless high tackle.
The charges arose from the Dragons' 4-50 loss to North Queensland in Townsville at the weekend.
Smith, his club's co-skipper, faces four matches on the sideline even if he makes an early guilty plea over a challenge on two-try winger Adam Connelly early in the second half.
Bartrim will miss two matches on an early guilty plea, and three if he unsuccessfully defends the charge.
The Warriors play St George-Illawarra in Wollongong.
