Nicho Hynes is expected to shake off his calf troubles and play in the State of Origin series opener after completing his most productive training session since NSW went into camp.
News of Hynes's recovery came on the same day fullback Dylan Edwards sent a shock through Origin camp by reporting quad tightness. Axed NSW skipper James Tedesco is expected to be on stand-by for Origin I.
At Saturday's final training session before NSW return from their Blue Mountains hideaway, the NSW halfback ran as confidently as any since entering pre-Origin camp under an injury cloud.
Hynes and the Blues then completed an opposed session with players from Penrith's pathways teams.
Team staff later told AAP Hynes had pulled up fine and would play in the Origin series opener at Accor Stadium on June 5, provided he did not aggravate the injury that began troubling him in early May.
The news is a big boost for a Blues side that had been sweating on Hynes' fitness to begin the week, and that had already lost halfback options Nathan Cleary, Mitch Moses and Adam Reynolds in the lead-up to their team announcement.
NSW are now expected to release 19th man Luke Keary, who had been on stand-by to play in the halves in the event Hynes did not make it through Saturday's crucial training session at Blue Mountains Grammar.
Keary spent time training separately from the Blues on Saturday but team staff told AAP this was only because he is due to play in the Sydney Roosters' clash against North Queensland on Sunday.
Even before the Blues' pivotal session, Hynes's teammates had been hopeful the Cronulla star would be available.
"He's heaps good," Blues centre Stephen Crichton said of Hynes's fitness.
"He's confident in himself as well. Every time I ask him, I feel like I'm asking him too much.
"But he's confident. I did a lot of kicking yesterday with him as well so he's ready to go."
Blues second-rower Liam Martin had been similarly eager for updates on Hynes's calf.
"He's probably getting sick of the rest of us checking in - he's ready to get out there with the team and rip in," he said.
"He's feeling good, me and him warmed up together the other day and then we were in full training. He's feeling good, he'll be ready to fire."
A right-calf issue rubbed Hynes out of the round-10 clash against Melbourne, though he returned in round 11 to steer the Sharks to a 38-30 defeat of the Sydney Roosters.
But when he went off for a head injury assessment (HIA) against Penrith in the Sharks' last game before Origin teams were picked, Hynes remained sidelined for fear his calf would be vulnerable to re-injury.
After entering camp under an injury cloud, Hynes missed the Blues' first training session on Wednesday and trained separately for part of Thursday's runout.
But he is now set to partner five-eighth Jarome Luai in the halves come Origin I.
