New South Wales legend Brad Fittler says Canterbury five-eight Josh Reynolds was unlucky to miss out on State of Origin selection but not in the position you would think.

Fittler believes Reynolds missed out on the utility bench position – not in the halves where James Maloney and Adam Reynolds got the nod.

“Dylan Walker was the person Josh Reynolds missed out to. I don’t think it was James Maloney, per se,” Fittler told sportsfan.com.au.

“Josh has been fantastic lately for Canterbury, there’s no doubt about that at all. If you’re picking on current form he’s hard to overlook.

“The fact is James Maloney’s been better for longer. Also, James Maloney’s a different style of player. I think he’s got a better kicking game, a little bit more controlled than Josh, little bit more experienced. I think those things really weigh in on the James Maloney factor.

“You couldn’t play him at halfback, Josh Reynolds. He just doesn’t play that sort of role. He’s more ad-lib and plays off instinct. Some of his delivery on the weekend was fantastic, some of those early passes, which I haven’t seen for a long time.

“If Josh keeps going down that path, he’s going to get better.”