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Brisbane: Ethan Strange has been cleared to play in Wednesday’s State of Origin series decider after surviving a crucial fitness test on his injured ankle.
Strange needed to run freely at the Blues’ training session on Monday in Brisbane to convince team officials he was worth the gamble against the Maroons.
The 21-year-old Strange is unlikely to play a major role unless Nathan Cleary or Mitchell Moses breaks down, but the Blues can take comfort knowing that their back-up playmaker is good to go.
A call needed to be made on Monday because Matt Burton, who was on standby for Strange, was due to fly home to Sydney to train with the Bulldogs ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Raiders.
Strange rolled his left ankle at training last Thursday and was rated a “50-50” chance heading into the weekend.
There were still some concerns about his availability on Monday morning, but Blues officials confirmed Strange is OK and Burton is due to head back to Sydney.
It is a huge boost for the Blues given Strange was one of their best in game one when starting in the halves after Moses withdrew with a hamstring injury. Strange can cover several positions if required in the decider.
The Blues will complete their captain’s run at Suncorp Stadium on Tuesday before turning their sights to taking out the series on enemy soil.
The Queensland capital is buzzing with rugby league and union fans, given the Wallabies play France in a Nations Championship Test on Saturday, also at Suncorp Stadium.
More to come
