South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt is to make his long-awaited State of Origin rugby league debut for NSW as replacement for the suspended Blake Ferguson.

NSW coach Laurie Daley on Tuesday called up 30-year-old Merritt to join his squad preparing to attempt a drought-breaking series victory at Suncorp Stadium in Game 2 on Wednesday week.

Merritt has been knocking at the door for Origin selection for several years and must have felt his chance had passed at age 30 and with 213 NRL matches behind him, despite his impressive tally of 148 tries.

Merritt was believed to have been be vying with Newcastle flier Akuila Uate for the wing spot made vacant when Ferguson was suspended on Monday after being charged by police with indecent assault following an alleged incident at a Cronulla nightspot on Sunday night.

His selection gives the code a feel-good story it badly needed in the wake of recent bad publicity over off-field behaviour.