True Blue Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach believes if Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles back-rower Curtis Sironen continues his dominant form he could be in line for a Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues jersey at the end of the year.
Sironen was named in NSW coach Brad Fittler’s extended Origin squad at the end of 2019 and has started the year much the same way he ended it.
The damaging ball-runner has been pivotal in Manly’s success, amassing 283 running metres, a try and 91 tackles in the opening three rounds, while putting in two full-80 minute performances against the Sydney Roosters and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Last year was the first time Sironen had played more than 20 games in a season due to ongoing injuries and was ruled out of the finals with a foot injury but Blocker says if he can stay fit he will definitely be a player to watch.
“I don’t reckon there’s anyone with better ball skills in the competition than him,” Roach told the Behind Blue Eyes Podcast.
“All we’ve got to do is see him play 20 or 30 games, that’s his biggest problem.
“I reckon he’s in the mix (for Origin), I reckon that they’re looking at him and talking about Curtis Sironen as we speak.
“The big thing for Curtis was that he was a number six if you remember rightly, he was a five-eighth and all of sudden he comes into grade after a half a dozen games and they put him in the back row and said ‘here’s your back row jumper mate go for it’…he’d never played there before.
“I think he’s 27 now, at this age he’s just starting to hit his straps and I reckon have a look for him because he’s not far from being a New South Welshman or maybe even getting picked in a touring side.”