By Wayne Heming

Three-years after being dumped by the Brisbane Broncos, Tom Dearden is set to answer an SOS from Queensland coach Billy Slater to wear the famous No.6 jumper donned by many past maroon greats.

With a hamstring tear ruling Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster out of the 2024 State of Origin series, Dearden, released by the Broncos in 2021 and signed by North Queensland, will wear the No.6 jumper made famous by Wally Lewis, Darren Lockyer, and Johnathan Thurston.

It will be Toowoomba-born Dearden’s second Origin appearance since deputising for Munster in the series-deciding third game in 2022.

Dearden made a striking Origin debut at five-eighth outside Daly Cherry-Evans in the halves and has beaten Brisbane’s Ezra Mam to the key job.

Slater, eyeing off a State of Origin hat-trick, has also plucked 100kg enforcer, Jaydn Su’a, from a battling St George-Illawarra side to return to the fiery Origin arena for the first time since the 2021 series.

And he has also handed Parramatta’s talented ball-playing back-rower, J’maine Hopgood his Origin debut for the opening game of the series at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Wednesday, June 5.

“J’maine’s story started in Harvey Bay playing the game he loves,” said Slater after announcing the team this morning.

“You know what it means to a player when the phone goes silent after you tell them they are in the team.

“I love how J’maine has worked on his game and his trade and was in camp with the Maroons last year.”

Su’a has been rewarded for his excellent form through the NRL’s opening 13 games with an Origin recall.

“Jaydn has played four Origin games and I love his habits in a game.” said Slater.

“He’s one player who has earned his opportunity, you just don’t get given a Queensland jersey, you have to earn it.

The 26 year-old Kiwi-born Su’a recently revealed to NRL.com he had been driven to fight his way back into the Queensland team following the pain of being part of the Maroon’s worst Origin loss in 2021.

He has kept his word, churning out an impressive 127 metres and 27 tackles a game after re-setting his goals earlier this season.

Hopgood is the only rookie in the squad with the other 16 members having all tasted the pressure of Origin football.

Slater has named powerhouse, Selwyn Cobbo as 17th man, as insurance to cover most Origin bases.

“We’ve had to replace an outside back in four of the last six Origin games, so it’s a bit of cover and Selwyn can play a number of positions, we may even create one for him, who knows,” said Slater.

“He’s a wonderful play and we are only seeing the surface of what he can do.”

On the other side of the border, incoming Blue’s coach Michael Maguire has picked a new-look side containing several calculated gambles.

He made the biggest call in Origin in the past decade or two, deciding to halt long-serving Blue’s captain, James Tedesco’s run of 22 Origin games.

Instead, he has ignited the Origin career of Penrith’s triple premiership-winning fullback, Dylan Edwards, whose army of supporters will applaud after Tedesco struggled to impact last year’s series.

Edwards, Sua’ali’i, Zac Lomax, Spencer Leniu, Haumole Olakau’atu and 20th man, Mitch Barnett have not played Origin.

Inspiring Manly forward Jake Trbojevic takes over the captaincy of NSW in his 17th Origin appearance.

The biggest issue facing incoming coach Maguire is the fitness of his big game playmaker, Hynes, who’s been struggling in recent weeks with a calf injury and failed to finish the Shark’s heavy loss to Penrith at the weekend.

Maguire has named shadows, Matt Burton and Luke Keary, who can both slot into the five-eight role should Hynes be ruled out at any stage during the week.