Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has chosen to rest all seven of his players involved in Wednesday's State of Origin decider from the club's Sunday NRL game.
All seven of Penrith's State of Origin players will be rested in NRL round 18, regardless of their level of involvement in the series decider at Suncorp Stadium.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary confirmed Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Jarome Luai, Liam Martin, Brian To'o, Api Koroisau and Stephen Crichton would all miss Sunday's NRL clash with Wests Tigers.
Kurt Falls and Sean O'Sullivan will start in the halves for the Panthers, while Mitch Kenny shifts from the bench to hooker in place of Koroisau.
Tigers interim coach Brett Kimmorley will trial halfback Jackson Hastings at lock in order to give Adam Doueihi a chance to return to the halves alongside Luke Brooks.
Both Doueihi and Brooks are keen to make the five-eighth spot their own and Kimmorley is likely to tinker with the combination again before the season is out.
Elsewhere, Sydney Roosters playmaker Luke Keary will miss a third consecutive game due to the concussion he suffered against Melbourne on June 11.
Coach Trent Robinson had been aiming to have Keary back on deck to face St. George Illawarra but instead Joey Manu will line up in the halves for the second time this season.
Mid-season recruit Matt Lodge is a chance to make his club debut for the Roosters, who welcome Jared Waerea-Hargreaves back from a long-term hamstring injury.
North Queensland's Origin players Valentine Holmes and Jeremiah Nanai will be rested for Friday's clash against Cronulla but debutants Tom Gilbert and Tom Dearden are named to line up.
The match kicks off less than 48 hours after the Origin decider and Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon will wait until closer to game day to determine whether Cronulla's sole Origin player Siosifa Talakai backs up.
Nicho Hynes and Toby Rudolf both tested positive to COVID-19 ahead of round 17 but have been named to play against the Cowboys.
Melbourne stars Felise Kaufusi and Cameron Munster will both line up against Canberra on Sunday afternoon after missing the Origin decider.
The Storm granted Kaufusi personal leave to visit his sick father in the USA but he is set to return to training on Wednesday, while Munster will have cleared COVID-19 protocols in time to play.
Brandon Smith was omitted from the side ahead of his judiciary hearing; the Storm hooker having pleaded guilty to the contrary conduct charge incurred for calling referee Adam Gee a "cheating b*****d" in round 17.
Ryan Papenhuyzen and Kenny Bromwich will play despite injury concerns coming out of last weekend's loss to Cronulla.
Brisbane will rest Origin representatives Kurt Capewell and Selwyn Cobbo for their derby against Gold Coast but Corey Oates and Pat Carrigan are a chance to play, having been named in the reserves. Payne Haas still needs at least another week to recover from a shoulder complaint.
Warriors interim coach Stacey Jones is in doubt for Friday's match against Parramatta after returning a positive rapid antigen test but the side will welcome Reece Walsh back from a bout of COVID-19.
Eels forward Ryan Matterson remains sidelined with a rib injury.
The season could be over for St. George Illawarra winger Mikaele Ravalawa, who will miss between eight and 10 weeks with a high-grade hamstring injury.
Alex Johnston (quad), Lachlan Ilias and Mark Nicholls (head knocks) have been named to return for South Sydney in Sunday afternoon's clash with Canterbury.
