Canberra coach Ricky Stuart says a blanket ban on State of Origin representatives backing up for their clubs the following round disrespects the care coaches have for their players.

The Rugby League Players Association is reportedly pushing for a mandatory stand-down rule after Origin matches to be included in the next collective bargaining agreement, with some players from Wednesday night’s epic decider expected to back up on Friday.

But Stuart, a former NSW player and coach, said he would never pick a player who wasn’t ready for the physicality of another match, and said preventing them for playing missed the point entirely.

“I can’t see how that should be an NRL decision, that should be a club decision,” he told reporters.

“Coaches aren’t given enough credit for what we do from a high performance point of view for our players.

“It’s not the games that are going to hurt them, it’s the training, the loads they do during the week. 

“I hope there’s a little bit more consultation over that before they go racing off and making a decision because I coach for the care of my player on and off the field and I feel that they need a rest … I’ll rest them.”

Queensland enforcer Josh Papalii was the only Raider who played on Wednesday night and has been picked for their trip to Melbourne on Sunday.

NSW’s Jack Wighton was named at 18th man and didn’t take to the field.

But Stuart said he’d regularly managed the workloads of players returning from representative duty.

“It’s not the 40 minutes or 50 minutes that Josh would play …it’s about your loads leading into those games,” he said.

“I could have brought both boys in (on Thursday), changed the training around to have them training but I didn’t do that.

“I know what it’s like after winning Origin matches, I want Josh to enjoy that moment … get back and get a bit of time with his family.”

If they were forced to go without Papalii it would add to an emerging injury crisis for the Raiders, who are sweating on the fitness of captain Elliott Whitehead (knee) and winger Nick Cotric (leg), although Stuart expects both to play.

Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who’d been named in NSW Cup, has reaggravated a hamstring injury and won’t play this weekend.

It follows young forwards Trey Mooney and Harry Rushton sustaining injuries in second grade last weekend.

And Stuart confirmed a number of COVID cases had been found at the club, although none among the NRL squad.

By Alex Mitchell in Canberra