KURT GIDLEY'S fractured cheekbone has thrown the Blues Origin preparations into disarray, with new halfback Peter Wallace called up so late yesterday the NSW side couldn't even assemble for their team photo.

Before Gidley was injured in a head clash with Storm and Queensland lock Dallas Johnson on Monday night, the Knights utility had been earmarked as the player to anchor the NSW game plan and his absence has forced a rethink on the tactics the Blues will adopt in next Wednesday night's series opener at ANZ Stadium.

At the time of the first-minute tackle in Melbourne, Wallace had just been told to be on standby to travel to Sydney, and it is believed NSW coach Craig Bellamy and the selectors were still deciding between the Penrith product, Parramatta's Brett Finch and Newcastle halfback Jarrod Mullen for an interchange spot alongside forwards Anthony Laffranchi, Anthony Tupou and Craig Fitzgibbon.

When the final decision was made shortly before 9.45am yesterday after scans at North Sydney Medical Centre confirmed Gidley's - and Bellamy's - worst fears, Wallace was training at the Broncos' Red Hill headquarters.

He was then rushed to Brisbane Airport in the hope of catching an 11.15am flight, but but missed it - and had to wait for the next flight, an hour later.

In contrast, Gidley, Newcastle's Danny Buderus and Ben Cross and Storm pair Brett White and Ryan Hoffman were with Bellamy on the same 6am flight out of Melbourne, while Laffranchi - the only other NSW player travelling interstate - departed the Gold Coast at 6.20am.

After losing Gidley, the selectors, who began meeting at 8am, had to quickly decide on a new halfback.

But there were also other factors to consider.

Gidley, a fullback with the Knights, was able to cover a number of positions, and it had been expected he would jump into dummy half when Buderus was interchanged.

He could also slot into five-eighth, centre or fullback in the case of an injury to one of the NSW backs. He was also to be the Blues' first-choice goal kicker.

Enter Ben Hornby, the St George Illawarra fullback cum five-eighth cum halfback cum hooker, who was only a late inclusion on the Country interchange bench in the match against City after Manly and NSW fullback Brett Stewart was ruled out with a calf injury and Cronulla's Brett Kearney was elevated to the custodian's role.

As a playmaking option, Hornby was considered behind the Country halves pairing of Finch and Todd Carney and the City trio of Mitchell Pearce, Braith Anasta and Wallace, who was on the bench and only saw about 25 minutes of action as a dummy half.

But Hornby's versatility earnt him the nod, while Fitzgibbon gained a surprise recall to the Blues as much for his goal kicking as his current good form.

With Greg Bird edging out Anasta for the No.6 jersey, Gidley was also set to assume much of the responsibility for the Blues' kicking in general play and that - as well as his defence - was a factor in Wallace's selection at halfback. Statistics show the Brisbane playmaker as having punted the ball for more metres (2619 from 84 kicks) than all of the other Blues contenders in matches so far this season.

The Maroons have no such problems, having overlooked Gold Coast half Scott Prince - perhaps the form player of the premiership - and Melbourne's premiership-winning playmaker Cooper Cronk to pick Karmichael Hunt at five-eighth. That selection completes a star-studded back line.

Aside from Hunt, who was injured, Warriors centre Brent Tate is the only Queensland back not to have played in last Friday night's Test win over New Zealand, while hooker and captain Cam Smith, prop Petero Civoniceva and Carl Webb and second-rower Michael Crocker were all members of the Australian side.

Maroons coach Mal Meninga and his selectors say they considered Prince solely as a halfback and claim that the selection of Hunt, the Broncos and former Kangaroos fullback, at five-eighth is not a gamble.

Australian coach Ricky Stuart last week rang Prince to explain why Cronk had been called into the Test team ahead of him on standby when halfback Johnathan Thurston rolled his ankle at training, but no one from the Maroons camp bothered to do likewise yesterday.