Canterbury have urged the NRL to reconsider State of Origin’s 18th man protocols after losing a star player for the seventh time in just two years.
Two of the biggest attractions in Friday night’s blockbuster clash between Canterbury and Brisbane are unavailable after Jacob Kiraz and Reece Walsh were selected as the 18th men for NSW and Queensland respectively.
Neither will be permitted to play in the NRL clash, despite a gap of five days and the slim chance either will be activated for the game III decider.
No club has been more affected by the club stand-down edict than the Bulldogs. Since the start of the 2023 Origin series, Matt Burton has served as Blues 18th man on five occasions, while Kurt Mann was the Maroons’ 18th man for the 2025 series opener and now winger Kiraz is on standby for Brian To’o or if a concussion substitution is required.
“From a commercial standpoint, the NRL is built on marquee match-ups and star players drawing crowds and television audiences,” said Canterbury chief executive Aaron Warburton.
“When you’ve got situations like this where key attractions are sitting in hotel rooms instead of entertaining fans, we’re not maximising the value proposition for anyone - broadcasters, sponsors, or the fans.”
Jacob Kiraz is the Blues 18th man.Credit: Wolter Peeters
NSW chose Kiraz – the third Origin 18th man to come from the Canterbury side in this series alone – despite having players from seven bye teams available to choose from in round 18. A potential solution is to allow 18th men to back up for Origin after their club commitments, or to stipulate that the 18th man must be chosen from one of the teams having the week off.
“We absolutely celebrate our players being recognised at Origin level – it’s a massive honour for Jacob, his family, and our entire club,” Warburton said.
“Friday night’s clash is still going to be a cracker. Both teams are fighting for top-four spots and there’s genuine quality across both squads.
“We’re fortunate that we have the depth to cover Jacob, so our next-man-up mentality is in full swing.”
Source: Champion Data
The 18th player has been activated just once in Origin history; when Felise Kaufusi replaced the concussed Reece Walsh after a high shot from Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in game one last year.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said he was focusing on the positives of Kiraz’s selection.
“It was frustrating with ‘Burto’ because it happened so many times,” Ciraldo said. “But with Jacob, it’s his first time in and around that arena, so he will learn a lot from being the 18th man on Wednesday and he’ll come back to our team a better player.”
Ciraldo predicted that if Kiraz was not required on Wednesday night, it would only be a matter of time before he got to run out in a NSW jersey.
“I’ve had enough of talking about the 18th man and Origin, but what I will say is Kiraz deserves to be very close to that stage, and he’s going to learn a lot from being 18th man on Wednesday night,” he said.
“You don’t want to see anyone get injured, but if Kiraz did get an opportunity, he’ll take it with both hands. If it’s not next Wednesday, it will be some time in the future because he’s working so hard, and he’s in a team of guys that are helping him get better every day. When you’re doing that, more guys will get on that stage.”
Ciraldo said the other benefit of Kiraz’s absence is it will allow Enari Tuala to make his debut for the Bulldogs, after playing 105 NRL games for Newcastle and North Queensland.
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“He was probably one of our most impressive guys all pre-season,” Ciraldo said of Tuala.
“Then a week before the trials, he unfortunately broke his foot and missed out on the first half of the season.
“But he’s just so respected, even though he hasn’t played a game of first grade for our group yet, he’s just so respected within our group, the way he prepares, the way he plays, and just the no-nonsense way he is.
“We’re very excited he joined our club this year and very excited to see him get his opportunity.”
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