PENRITH officials are demanding that Queensland selectors contact Rhys Wesser to explain his omission from Origin II after the Maroons lost a battle to force Greg Inglis to fly from Melbourne for today's medicals and called in Super League-bound Adam Mogg.
After initially being advised by Queensland coach Mal Meninga that he was on stand-by for Brisbane centre Justin Hodges, 28-year-old Mogg was last night called up to become the injury-struck Maroons' ninth debutant in the series so far and will take Inglis's place on the wing.
Confirmation last night of the Canberra centre's selection followed a 24-hour stand-off between the Queensland Rugby League and the Storm over the fitness of Inglis, who was found on Monday to have a stress fracture in his lower back.
The Maroons believed Inglis's injury may have been manageable and refused to rule him out. But Melbourne officials insisted he would not be flying to Brisbane and the teenager was reluctant to play.
"I don't want to end up in a wheelchair, one bad knock and I could be out for three years. I just don't want to risk that," Inglis told a media conference in Melbourne. "It's disappointing to miss out on Origin but I'm just happy my name's been thrown into the squad, they're hungry to get me back up there but I'm trying to get myself right. Hopefully I'll have 10 years in this business and I don't want to go up there and risk losing two years."
Storm physiotherapist Mary Toomey said the Maroons medical staff would have to fly to Melbourne if they wanted to examine Inglis. In a statement last night, the QRL said: "It is understood he will be sidelined for a number of weeks due to the injury".
Mogg, who has signed a three-year deal with French Super League club Catalans, was named as Inglis's replacement to cap a meteoric rise from the Queensland Cup just four years ago.
But the snubbing of Wesser, who had been strongly rumoured to be the stand-by player for Inglis, angered the Panthers.
"If it was a specialist winger I can accept it, but they've left him out and they haven't put a specialist winger in there," Penrith chief executive Mick Leary said. "I think it'd be nice if the chairman of selectors [Des Morris] just rings him and says, 'This is why'. Just give some reason. I think they owe him that.
"I don't want to detract from Adam Mogg, who's doing a great job for Canberra, but Wesser has played State of Origin before, he's never let Queensland down, and if they want a winger - he's one of the fastest players in the NRL. It's baffling. Realistically, there's got to be some sort of explanation as to why he's not there. I don't know whether he's done something wrong or whether they think he's not up to it ? if they think that, they should tell him."