Maguire's telling response to awkward Cleary headache
Blues coach Michael Maguire has given a telling response when quizzed about a potential Origin III selection headache.
Sidelined from the first two matches of the series with a hamstring injury, Nathan Cleary is an outside chance at being available for a return in the decider at Suncorp Stadium next month.
In Cleary's absence, Mitchell Moses was man of the match at halfback having had a hand in almost all of the Blues seven tries in the 38-18 win.
In normal circumstances, Cleary has a mortgage on the Blues No.7 jersey. But given the performance Moses and his Blues teammates put in at the MCG on Wednesday night, it would be a tough sell to make any unnecessary changes.
Speaking on Nine's Today on Thursday morning, Maguire said it was a "nice problem to have" given the Blues' injury crisis ahead of the series-opener in Sydney.
"I guess I've learnt within this job, two or three months ago, I was watching week in, week out where players were," he said.
"We had a few challenges with injuries, (but) all of a sudden we've got the momentum going back the other way. It's a really nice thing to have.
"I'll face that when the time is right.
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Moses was sensational in Origin II.
"They are two quality humans, but the way the players played last night, they've shown exactly how we want to be and how we want to play."
One of a string of high-profile players caught up in the NRL's epidemic of soft-tissue injuries, Cleary has made just five appearances for the Panthers this season as he battles a recurring hamstring injury.
He was originally slated to miss eight weeks of football.
Cleary's father and Panthers coach Ivan Cleary indicated it would be more than that by the time he returns to the field.
Ivan said on Wednesday he was hopeful the halfback's comeback would come against the Dolphins in round 20, which would rule him out of Origin III contention.
The Panthers face the Cowboys and Broncos in the next two weeks, and then enjoy a bye in round 19. They'll host the Dolphins at BlueBet Stadium the week after.
"But that hasn't been confirmed," he said.
"He's steadily going through his rehab and it's going well. Let's hope he keeps going well.
"(Round 20) was a fairly loose target and it hasn't been confirmed, but his rehab is going well."
Without Cleary, the Panthers suffered shock losses to the Warriors and Dragons, although the latter was heavily Origin-affected. The Panthers still sit second on the ladder, a game behind the Storm, and boast the best defensive record in the comp.
"(His return date) has nothing to do with how we've been playing. This decision was made from the time he had the second injury," he said.
"The bye is a part of it because if your team's not here, you miss full team training which actually adds to the length of the rehab.
"At this stage everything is on track."