Warriors back Jackson Ford for State of Origin recall after NSW Blues snub - The Big League Podcast

Warriors Jackson Ford during the NRL Telstra Premiership match between the One NZ Warriors v Gold Coast Titans at Go Media Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand. Saturday 18 April 2026 Photo: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz x

The Warriors are backing Jackson Ford to remain a strong contender for State of Origin selection after he was snubbed from New South Wales’ game one squad.

The 28-year-old prop had been widely tipped to make Laurie Daley’s team after leading for the majority of the Dally M race so far this season.

Warriors co-captain and fellow prop Mitch Barnett has been named for the second year in a row, despite limited game time this year after returning from an ACL injury.

Former Warrior Addin Fonua-Blake and Newcastle’s Jacob Saifiti were the other preferred props in the 20-man team list.

Warriors second-rower Kurt Capewell has been recalled to Billy Slater’s Queensland Maroons team.

Warriors assistant coach Slade Griffin told The Big League Podcast that Ford is not out of the running entirely.

“He’ll be disappointed, but it’s only game one, and a lot can happen in a couple of weeks. So he’s been really consistent all year. I have no doubt he’ll be the same player for the next couple of weeks, and if he ever does get his opportunity, he’ll be ready to go.”

Jackson Ford of the Warriors against the Dolphins. Photo / Photosport

Barnett played for New South Wales last year, but tore his ACL while backing up for the Warriors against the Rabbitohs just four days after playing the State of Origin opener.

Griffin said he might be rested after playing Origin this year, but they will discuss it.

“One thing this year, we’ve got really good depth. We’ve got some great young forwards who are NRL players now. We’ve talked about their potential, but they’ve arrived now, so they’re playing awesome.

“We trust our bench and our forwards. Our starting pack can go after the game, and if they get tired at the 15-minute mark, we’re happy to sub them and put on a Demitric [Vaimauga] or someone like that. So it gives us that flexibility, and we’re just trusting our whole squad.”

Star halfback Tanah Boyd suffered a suspected ACL rupture in the dominant NRL Magic Round win over the Broncos, likely ending his season.

Boyd will undergo scans in the coming days to determine the severity of the injury.

It meant Te Maire Martin steered the side from halfback, setting up two tries and scoring one of his own.

Griffin said Boyd is devastated.

“He had his parents there last night, which helps. It’s like getting kicked while he’s down; his partner’s just broken her leg as well, and they have a little fellow at home, so it’s really tough for him at the moment.

Tanah Boyd of the Warriors suffered an injury during the NRL Round 11 match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Sunday. Photo / Photosport

“But look, the club will get around and support him. He’s obviously played awesome footy all year. He’s not the only person to do an ACL, so I know it’s just a bump in the road for him, but yeah, in the short term, it’s really sad.”

Griffin admits Boyd’s injury is a blow to their season, but has highlighted their depth in the halves.

“It’s obviously tough, but the boys have dealt with adversity all year. We’ve talked about it takes a squad to win it. Te Maire’s done an awesome job there. Obviously, we still have Luke [Metcalf] for the rest of the year.

“We’ve got great competition at training. Our reserve grade team gives us great practice throughout the week. There are quality guys missing out, and there are always things that happen throughout the season to help you deal with those injuries and those highs and lows.”

Griffin championed Martin’s efforts, having only recovered from a broken leg a couple of weeks ago.

“He came back and played lock at reserve grade and then had a bye, and then he trained all week at fullback just to give us that coverage with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad out at the moment.

Wayde Egan, Te Maire Martin and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak all had standout games against the Broncos. Photo / Photosport

“It just shows he’s a footy player, eh? He’s been in the system a long time, so he knows our flow and all our plays and how to get the team around the park. But yeah, like he’s been a bit of a Swiss army knife all year for us. He probably hasn’t got as many reps at halfback with all the kicking and stuff, but he just slotted there and played footy, and we’ll get him some more reps as we go forward, which will make him feel more comfortable.”

Martin is set to continue at halfback against the Dragons, as Webster said Metcalf is unlikely to be available this week as he finalises his contract with St George Illawarra, which he will begin next year.

Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.