Tom Dearden to miss Origin opener after ankle injury
Tom Dearden, the Queensland State of Origin halfback, will miss six to eight weeks due to a syndesmosis ankle injury sustained in North Queensland Cowboys' 33–30 golden-point loss to Parramatta Eels on Friday.
He is expected to undergo surgery next week and will miss at least the first two matches of the 2024 State of Origin series. If recovery takes the full eight weeks, he would also be unavailable for the third match on July 8.
Dearden was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series in 2024.
Potential replacements for the series opener include Sam Walker, Ezra Mam, and Ben Hunt, none of whom have played halfback at Origin level.