'No doubt in the world': NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler backs Jack Wighton to shine in State of Origin

It's a by-product of an NRL campaign that has seen the Canberra Raiders go from premiership contenders to a side that has claimed two wins in 11 weeks.

Yet the NSW Blues coach has no doubt Wighton will be up to the task when he starts in the halves alongside debutant Mitchell Moses against Queensland on July 14.

His parting message as the Blues charge out for the opening whistle in search of their first clean sweep in 21 years will be simple.

"Just to play like Jack Wighton does and like he has for us in the past," Fittler said.

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"He's a whole-hearted bloke, I think at the moment it's not working that well at the Canberra Raiders so you start to question what you're doing and how you're doing it.

"Hopefully by game day, he's not questioning anything."

It seems easier said than done, even if the series is wrapped up with one game still to play ideally on home soil as rugby league officials balance the risks of a COVID-19 outbreak.

But Fittler is confident a move into Blues camp on the Central Coast will allow Wighton to hit the reset button after balancing a tumultuous campaign with Canberra and a newborn baby.

"Firstly he gets to sleep, so we'll start with that and get him nice and relaxed," Fittler grinned.

"I'm sure he'd rather be at home with his wife and new baby. He'll get a good chance to rest, I'm sure he'll be nervous knowing his wife is home with a newborn baby but he'll be alright.

"I've got no doubt in the world he will add a lot of value to our team."

Moses won the race to the No. 7 jersey ahead of South Sydney's Adam Reynolds, whose form had sparked questions about whether Fittler would opt for an all-Rabbitohs halves pairing.

Reynolds and Cody Walker have both played State of Origin football before and loomed as an option to fill the void left by Penrith stars Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.

But Fittler opted for little disruption and moved Wighton from the bench into the starting line-up, thus shifting 18^th man Api Koroisau into the No. 14 jersey.

The Blues coach is confident Moses will handle the clutch moments, shutting down concerns the Parramatta playmaker is perceived as a flat-track bully.

"I've coached him before [for Lebanon] so I've seen him in action. What I saw was a quality player who can lead the team around. He's a great leader," Fittler said.

"Only one team gets to win the grand final each year, and to be fair, most of the time it's been Melbourne or the Roosters.

"Outside of anyone playing for them, you've got to say every one of those players may be exactly the same as the person you just described.

"I think a lot of people are learning from those teams, and this will help Mitchell going forward, given it's a big game and an opportunity to play in another big game.

"Obviously there was talk around Cody and Adam, and I just thought the disruption from the point of view of you change pretty much your whole game and nearly want to play like South Sydney.

"There's a few players at the moment that could have come into the position but I felt like having Mitchell there, and bringing Jack into five-eighth, was the least disruption."

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