NRL legend Andrew Johns calls for changes to NSW halves – and axing of Jarome Luai from Origin side

NRL great Andrew Johns believes Souths star Cody Walker should be selected for the NSW Blues alongside Mitchell Moses – meaning Jarome Luai would be left out of the side.

Walker, 34, was shipped into the Blues lineup for game three in 2023 and produced an excellent performance – and Johns has called on NSW to give him another shot.

‘Me personally I’d go Cody, Latrell on the left side, Cody on the left with Mitchell Moses … this has got nothing on Jarome’s (Luai) form, it’s just combinations,’ he said on the Sunday Footy Show.

‘I think Mitch Moses and Cody Walker compliment each other far better than a Moses-Luai combination.’

Johns believes Souths star Cody Walker should be selected in the side

Johns also made the same calls back in March, and went into more detail about why he should be the No.6.

‘I’d go with Cody,’ he said on Immortal Behaviour.

‘Cody unlocks the left side and last year in game three, Walker came into the team and the game plan was pretty simple. He knows what plays to put on, when to get the ball, how far to go into the line – he is a throwback to Cliff Lyons.

‘He’s got to show the coach something, but if he gets in there among players in form and a forward pack going forward, I have no doubts that he would shoot the lights out.’

Elsewhere, Latrell Mitchell has broken his three-month silence and put his hand up for Origin selection as calls grow for the Souths superstar to be picked for Game 2 of the series.

Mitchell spent Saturday alongside Blues coach Michael Maguire at South Sydney’s 2014 premiership reunion, posing for photos with the NSW coach and publicly declaring he wants to play Origin.

The pair posed for jovial photos for South Sydney’s social media page, while Mitchell shared one on his own story with the caption: ‘We on?’

Mitchell could not have made a more compelling case on the field on Friday night, when he was involved in everything in South Sydney’s 22-12 win over Brisbane.

Johns thinks Walker would team-up better with Mitch Moses than Jarome Luai (pictured)

The Souths No.1 also picked up a contrary-conduct charge out of the match for inciting a melee after an illegal Jordan Riki hit, but can avoid a ban by accepting a $3000 fine.

The 26-year-old has not played Origin since 2021 due to injuries, but is favoured to beat out Bradman Best, Jesse Ramien and Kotoni Staggs to return to the Blues team.

‘I’m ready. I’m keen,’ Mitchell told the Sydney Morning Herald.

‘If Madge (Maguire) wants me, I’m in. I’m ready to go to Melbourne and give it to some Queenslanders.

‘There was a lot of doubt with NSW because I’ve never been looked after. I’ve been the scapegoat. I don’t want to go into this camp being the scapegoat if they lose.

‘I want to go into a camp and feel comfortable in my own skin and create some bonds and get ready to play for people I want to play for. Not go in and be the scapegoat for the media to go, ‘Latrell this, this and this’.’