The NSW Blues have confirmed five-eighth Mitchell Moses will miss Wednesday night’s State of Origin opener due to a hamstring injury.

Moses was sent for a scan after sustaining the injury during Blues training in Gosford on Monday.

The scans revealed a “minor hamstring tear”, according to the NSW Rugby League.

Canberra Raiders five-eighth Ethan Strange will come in as the starting five-eighth for the Blues in Wednesday’s opener, making his State of Origin debut. Canterbury’s Matt Burton has been added to the Blues’ 20-man squad.

Blues coach Laurie Daley said Moses’s injury was not serious, but he would not recover in time for Wednesday’s clash at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

“It’s nothing major but it’s too risky 48 hours out from the game,” Daley said, as reported by AAP.

“It’s a big loss but Origin you expect nothing different, there’s always unexpected things that happen.

“We’ve got a really good strong group of young men and nothing fazes them.”

Moses has played six Origins for the Blues, debuting in Game III of the 2021 series. 

The Parramatta star shone for the Blues in the series opener last year, helping NSW to an 18-6 win over the Maroons at Lang Park in Brisbane.

Injury took Moses out of the following two matches, which Queensland won to regain the shield. 

Strange, 21, has been a star of the NRL since making his first-grade debut in 2023.

He enjoyed a breakout year in 2025, being named Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year as he led the Raiders to the minor premiership.

Strange has scored 19 tries in 55 matches for the Raiders, including 14 during the 2025 campaign. 

“I’ve got a fair idea on Ethan as a player and I like the way he plays,” Daley said.

“He’s got a strong running game and he backs his instincts. I’m not worried about Ethan.”

ABC Sport will have a live blog of State of Origin Game I on Wednesday night, played at Stadium Australia in Sydney.