Gold Coast coach John Cartwright may have a long-term solution to the left centre woes in the NSW team, revealing his desire to shift his club's 2012 recruit Jamal Idris to the position.

Cartwright, who stood down from his role as NSW State of Origin assistant to concentrate on reviving the Titans' faltering NRL campaign, said he planned to use the current Canterbury sensation on the left edge when he takes up a five-year deal next year.

Left centre has been a problem area for NSW this year with Blues coach Ricky Stuart even attempting to talk St George Illawarra veteran Matt Cooper out of representative retirement.

The issue was exacerbated when Origin I representative Michael Jennings succumbed to an ankle injury, prompting Stuart to choose Manly rookie Will Hopoate on the left edge for Wednesday's rematch with Queensland.

Idris plays right centre for the Bulldogs and it is believed Stuart was unwilling to risk playing the bullocking three-quarter out of position on the other side of the field.

Hopoate is anything but a long-term fix given he will quit the game at the end of the year to undertake a Mormon mission, but Cartwright may provide a solution.

"I was interested to see how he (Idris) went when he played there (left centre) in the Test side when we got an injury to (Greg) Inglis," Cartwright told ABC Radio on Sunday.

"He did very well ... looking down the track for us next year I'm probably looking at him playing on the left side of the field as well.

"He doesn't have a problem with it."

Cartwright claimed Idris's Origin II omission had more to do with form than positional issues.

"I think Jamal's form has tapered a bit since the Test match, along with the Dogs ... they've lost four of their last five and I think that probably came into it," Cartwright said.

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