Nathan Cleary has failed in his bid to prove his fitness for Origin III, with Knights halfback Mitchell Pearce called into the NSW side for the decider.

Cleary has failed to overcome an ankle injury which in turn has opened the door for Pearce to return to the Origin arena.

Pearce is expected to join the Blues in camp tonight.

The Knights halfback, arguably the form playmaker in the NRL in 2019, has never been part of a Blues series victory despite playing 18 games for his state.

Source: NRL