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NSW halfback Mitchell Moses has offered his support to Nicho Hynes after his State of Origin axing, labelling the ousted Blues number seven a media "scapegoat".
After playing in a Blues outfit reduced to 12 men for 72 minutes in Game I, Hynes has been a victim of a ruthless squad shake-up overseen by Michael Maguire as the NSW coach bids to save the series.
The Cronulla playmaker has made way for Moses, who is set to make just his fourth Origin appearance in Melbourne next Wednesday as the Blues look to get level with the Maroons.
Moses sympathised with Hynes's plight, adamant the circumstances of the series opener meant he had little chance to show he belonged at Origin level.
"I'll be sure to reach out to him after this," Moses said.
"It's unlucky. I feel sorry for him in that he had 12 men the whole game and he was pretty much made the scapegoat.
"I feel sorry for him … I get my chance and I've got to grab it with both hands."
Maguire has been a longstanding fan of Moses and would likely have given him the number seven jersey for Game I were it not for the Parramatta playmaker missing two months of NRL action with a foot injury.
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Moses has looked solid if unspectacular in his three hit-outs for the Eels but insists there are no lingering fitness concerns.
After a testing season for 15th-placed Parramatta, Moses described the prospect of entering NSW camp as a "breath of fresh air".
As halfback, Moses is likely to be tasked with unlocking the Blues' attacking weapons.
Both of NSW's tries in game one came off kicks and Moses is eager to let recalled centre Latrell Mitchell loose on Queensland.
"I think it's our job as halves … to dish the ball and get the ball to him in spots where he loves it," Moses said.
"He's a quality player and he's obviously been picked for a reason.
"He's such a big influence on a team.
"He has such a big influence on the team and he's just got that aura about him that he loves these types of games."
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AAP