Boyd Cordner is hopeful his Kings Cross high-jinks with Mitchell Pearce won’t cost him a NSW State of Origin jersey like it did his Sydney Roosters teammate.

Cordner returns from an ankle injury in the premiers’ grand final re-match with Manly on Friday night, just days before Blues coach Laurie Daley sits down to pick his side for game three.

With Anthony Watmough suspended and Trent Merrin under an injury cloud, Cordner’s return has come at the perfect time for the Blues, who are chasing a 3-0 series clean sweep for the first time since 2000.

Cordner was largely an innocent bystander as Pearce was arrested in the notorious Sydney nightspot in May, an off-field indiscretion that cost the Tricolours playmaker the Blues halfback spot as Daley sought to install a new culture aimed at ending Queensland’s eight-year stranglehold on the interstate series.

Cordner was fined $5000 for his role in the highly publicised night out.

But Daley has shown he can forgive, with James Tamou and Josh Dugan selected for NSW this series despite off-field dramas last year.

“It has been documented that I was part of everything but probably I was in trouble for just being there,” Cordner said.

“So I don’t know if I have done anything wrong in that regard, hopefully not.

“It was a pretty hard time there for Pearcey, he has touched on it that. I was there with him, my name was brought up, but I was more worried for him for what he was going through.

“But it is all over now, I’m not worried about it.

“Without getting into too much detail because it is long gone, that (sticking up for Pearce) was pretty much the gist of it so it was pretty surprising how it all broke down and came out.

“But I have totally moved on and so has Pearcey and I think it is showing in the way he is playing football now.”

Cordner praised Pearce for the way he has put the saga behind him and concentrated on playing good football for the Tricolours.

“He was put in a position where if it was someone else they could have turned over and felt sorry for themselves,” he said.

“But knowing Pearcey and what sort of character he is and how well respected he is around the club he is, it is a credit to himself how he has pulled himself up.

“He has been one of our best players week-in week-out. I’m happy for him and he is on the right track now.”