Westpac NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley has revealed the effort-play that secured Max King an Origin debut in next week's series opener.

King emerged as the Blues bolter on Sunday night when he was named on the interchange for the State of Origin series opener at Suncorp Stadium next Wednesday. 

The Bulldogs forward was selected ahead of Wests Tigers prop Terrell May, with Daley revealing King's effort plays off the ball played a key role in the decision. 

One play, in particular, caught Daley's eye, when the forward ran 80 metres to get back onside and make a crucial tackle during Canterbury's clash with the Titans during Magic Round.

"Max’s actions as a footballer go unnoticed by a lot of people but it doesn’t go unnoticed by the coaching staff," Daley said. "There was one particular moment in Magic Round, Max had made a run and got tackled four metres out under the sticks.

"The Dogs moved the ball to the left, they dropped it and then [Tony Francis] picks it up and runs 80 metres, gets tackled. The Titans move the ball to the left, the next person who made that tackle was Max King.

"He got back there because he knew how urgent it was for his teammates. That’s an action I look for and to me that’s a guy who cares about his team, cares about his teammates and that’s the type of player I want."

While he named a 20-man squad on Sunday night, Daley's exact team remains up in the air, with Payne Haas sent for scans for a quad injury on Monday morning. 

Should the Broncos prop be ruled out, Melbourne's Stefano Utoikamanu will come into the side as his replacement.

Daley revealed he does not plan on chatting to May about his decision but remains confident the 26-year-old will one day play for NSW. 

"I just think the others played better than Terrell May," he said. "All the things that I’m looking for from a player, Max King is playing outstanding. Terrell’s playing great but he needs to keep knocking on the door, I’m sure his time will come at some stage.

"There’s a lot of players that are unlucky, Jarome [Luai’s] another one that is unlucky, so is James Tedesco. That’s the great position we’re in, the fact there’s a number of players that could be included in the squad that didn’t make it."

Daley was faced with multiple big selection decisions over the weekend, particularly as a number of players suffered injuries during the round. 

The coach ultimately opted for Dylan Edwards over James Tedesco at fullback and Mitchell Moses over Jarome Luai to partner Nathan Cleary in the halves. 

Moses starred in Games Two and Three last year but there have been questions over his ability to combine with Cleary, given both are primary playmakers used to running an attack.

Daley, however, has no such concerns and backed the duo to lead NSW to victory at Suncorp Stadium. 

"That was another tough decision and I just feel like Mitch is in great form," Daley said. "He and Nathan can combine really well. Kicking games in Origins are so important and we’ve got two of the best kickers in the game.

"You can have a poor set but you can get away with it if you’re kick’s strong. Having that extra kicker in your team [is important], Mitch is great with his communication, he’s got a great running game and all the qualities he needs to be great at six."