South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett says incumbent NSW halves Nathan Cleary and James Maloney should be axed from the State of Origin opener next month. Bennett stopped short of saying they should be replaced with his red-hot halves Cody Walker and Josh Reynolds, but advised against retaining the out-of-form duo just because of a series win last year. Cleary and Maloney have struggled to get bottom-placed Penrith going this season and Bennett, who coached Queensland for seven series, said their form won’t change in a Blues jersey. “I’ll say what no one else wants to say, they cannot pick the halfback and five-eighth from last year,” Bennett said. “The positions they play, if you think you can go and play an Origin game in that type of form and be stars, it’s not going to happen. “If they’re forwards then maybe but not key playmakers. They’re all about confidence and you’ve either got it or you haven’t got it.
