Queensland have been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of State of Origin Game 2, with Pat Carrigan and Gehamat Shibasaki both confirmed to be out of the crucial clash. The news comes as a major setback for coach Billy Slater, who now faces mounting selection headaches just weeks out from the June 17 encounter.
The two Brisbane Broncos players sustained their injuries during Sunday's 30-26 loss to the St George Illawarra Dragons, a defeat that marked the Broncos' third consecutive loss to the Dragons. Carrigan, who came off the bench for the Maroons in the Origin opener against New South Wales, was seen leaving the stadium in a moon boot after the match. Subsequent scans revealed a syndesmosis injury, which is expected to sideline the forward for approximately four weeks. This timeline means he will be unavailable for Origin 2, a major blow for Queensland's forward pack.
Shibasaki, meanwhile, suffered a grade two medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury. The centre is projected to be out for five to six weeks, which could see him miss the entire Origin series. Shibasaki did not take the field in Origin 1, while Carrigan had appeared in his 13th consecutive Origin game. Carrigan attempted to continue playing after being taken off in the first half against the Dragons, but he lasted only ten minutes after returning to the field before being forced off again.
"It's some sort of ankle sprain," Broncos coach Michael Maguire said. "Patty felt he was OK to go back out there, they assessed him and strapped him up, but you could just sense he was struggling a little bit."
The injuries compound Slater's selection concerns, as he prepares to name his squad after the conclusion of round 14 this weekend. With key players now unavailable, the Maroons will need to look to their depth to fill the void left by Carrigan and Shibasaki. The Origin series is finely poised, and these absences could prove pivotal in determining the outcome of Game 2.
