There was finally some good news for NSW coach Ricky Stuart on Tuesday with St George Illawarra pair Mark Gasnier and Jamie Soward declared available for selection for this month's State of Origin series opener.

Scans cleared Gasnier of any long-term damage after he hurt ankle ligaments in Sunday's win over North Queensland, while Soward was named to play against Canterbury on Friday night after overcoming a groin strain.

The double dose of good news would come as welcome relief to Stuart, who is already resigned to being without likely selections Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (fractured eye socket) and Kurt Gidley (shoulder) due to injury.

Gasnier - walking without discomfort at Dragons training on Tuesday - will not play against the Bulldogs, but Dragons officials dismissed any doubt over the classy centre's Origin involvement.

"Gasnier had his scans and he has a small tear in one of his ankle ligaments which will keep him out for a week," Dragons performance director Jeremy Hickmans said.

"He'll be healed and available by the time the club returns from the bye round or for State of Origin if he is selected into the NSW Blues team."

Speaking on OneHD's One Week at a Time program, Stuart said Gasnier would not have to play against the Bulldogs to confirm his Origin selection - which would mark his first representative game since his return following an 18-month sojourn in rugby union.

Soward showed no ill-effects from the groin injury he picked up while playing for Country Origin on Friday night, running and stepping freely at training alongside fellow Dragons returnee Darius Boyd.

While a fully fit Boyd - a certainty to be named on the wing for Queensland - would have sent shivers up Stuart's spine, Soward's speedy recovery opens up the Blues mentor's options, with the Dragons pivot locked in a head-to-head battle with Jarrod Mullen for the side's No.6 jumper.

While he refused to put a red line through his name, Stuart denied Todd Carney - named to make his return from suspension against Cronulla on Sunday - was a candidate to play at Suncorp Stadium on May 25.

Carney had been earmarked as the Blues' long-term solution at five-eighth after blazing his way to last year's Dally M medal, but his career has gone off the rails in 2011 as he battled alcohol and depression issues.

"Never say never ... but it would be very unfair on the players that have been busting their guts over the past six or seven weeks," Stuart said.

"I'm not thinking about Todd Carney, I just hope he gets back and gets his football back on track and is in a good frame of mind."

Despite admitting last month that he would be happy to win just one game in the series, Stuart claimed the Blues were on the cusp of a golden era.

Queensland have stormed their way to five straight series wins, but Stuart predicted a Blue-tinged flood could follow a drought-breaking win.

"When we break this cycle ... we're going to have a huge, huge run," Stuart said.

"It's just a matter of breaking the cycle of (Johnathan) Thurston, (Cameron) Smith, Billy Slater.

"I promise you, it's going to come."

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