Since starting his season in round six, Manly gun Tom Trbojevic has certainly made up for lost time.
The Sea Eagles and Blues superstar has sparked a stunning turnaround for his club side and played a leading role in NSW s 2-1 Origin triumph.
Making his Origin heroics even more remarkable is the fact he played out of position in the centres because the Blues boast another of the game s elite talents, James Tedesco, at fullback.
Such has been Turbo s dominance in 2021 that many now consider him to be the game s best player, but he has plenty of worthy rivals for that tag.
State of Origin Game 3 2021 player ratings: NSW Blues v Queensland Maroons The Mole nine.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nine.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
He s back. At long last, Kalyn Ponga returns for Queensland.
It seems the Maroons need all the help they can get in Origin III if they are to avoid a series whitewash.
The Newcastle fullback provides genuine X-factor at the back - something unfortunately Queensland fans haven t seen enough of in recent years.
Few players announced themselves on the Origin stage quite like Ponga in 2018 in what was one of the great debuts.
Unfortunately he has been rarely sighted since due to injury. Ponga can make a real difference at fullback.
But I think the big inclusion for the Maroons is Ben Hunt in the No.9 jersey. He s played a lot at halfback but I think his best fit is at hooker.
The Roar s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 16 theroar.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theroar.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Paul Gallen14 hours ago
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NRL great PAUL GALLEN will appear on Nine s 100% FOOTY on Monday night, debating rugby league s hottest topics alongside Phil Gould and James Bracey. Tune in from 10.20pm AEST, following all the action of State of Origin II!
I was sitting on the sideline with Cam Smith for State of Origin II and within 10 minutes, I started to point a few things out. Cam was agreeing.
Queensland came out hard in defence but after only seven or eight minutes, several of their forwards were struggling to get back on side by tackle three. Even by tackle four. They just weren t getting back to get involved in the attack.