Keary is true blue says Fittler

Boom rookie Luke Keary is 100 per cent committed to NSW says Blues great and assistant coach Brad Fittler.

The subject of an interstate tug-of-war between NSW and Queensland, Keary was selected for his senior representative debut on Sunday in Fittler’s City side for Sunday’s match with Country in Wagga Wagga.

Keary has attended emerging camps for both the Blues and the Maroons and while he was born in Ipswich, he has been ruled eligible to play for NSW under Origin’s strict new guidelines.

Fittler said the South Sydney premiership winner, who will play at halfback for City, if fit, has given him a personal guarantee he wants to play for NSW.

“I’ve only met him a few times, I’m looking forward to see how he carries himself and the input he has into the training sessions,” Fittler said.

“We were in a group actually and Luke Keary was there and I asked him, I had a bit of a word to the group and asked him and he was very forthright in saying he wanted to play for NSW.”

However Keary is in doubt for Sunday’s City versus Country match after struggling with an unspecified injury, Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire said after the loss to Canberra.

“Luke Keary’s had a few ongoing things that have been affecting him,” Maguire said.

“He doesn’t use that as an excuse but he’s struggling at the moment.”

If Keary does withdraw it’s likely to be a near-fatal blow to the 23-year-old’s hopes of sneaking into Laurie Daley’s NSW State of Origin squad.

While NSW incumbent five-eighth Josh Reynolds is set to go head-to-head with James Maloney in the clash at Wagga Wagga, Keary looms as a bolter if neither impress Daley.

Keary was given the chance to show what he can do at representative level with Sydney Roosters No.7 Mitchell Pearce rested for the game.

Fittler will also be sweating on the fitness of Souths’ centre Dylan Walker.

The Kangaroos representative limped off the field after copping a knock to his left knee against the Raiders and Maguire admits he’s a severe doubt for this weekend’s game.

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