Sydney Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary has played in three grand finals, played for Australia and won a Clive Churchill Medal but there is one representative jersey he is still chasing.
“Origin is obviously the arena everyone wants to be in and as a kid you grow up dreaming of playing,” Keary said at his first day in NSW camp at Magenta Shores on the Central Coast.
“I haven’t been able to do it yet, but I’ll put my best foot forward and hopefully get a chance some stage during the series.”
The 28-year-old is joined in camp by Roosters teammates Boyd Cordner, Angus Crichton, James Tedesco and Daniel Tupou, who were all chasing a three-peat premiership with the club, but despite the disappointing end to their season, Keary matured as a player.
“It was a bit of different year for us,” Keary said.
“There were some positives - I got to step up a bit more to a senior playmaking role which I learnt a lot through during the year and hopefully I can bring that into my game in the future.
Tricolours winger Tupou has been named in Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler’s Origin squad for the first time in five years since his return to form this season.
The towering outside back has been unstoppable in 2020, scoring 11 tries, recording ten line breaks and 2,728 run metres and Keary believes he is deserved of a spot in Fittler’s starting side come Game I on November 4.
“I love him,” Keary said.
“I think everyone knows what he brings, obviously he starts sets off and can score tries from everywhere so I hopefully he gets a crack this year.
“I think his form over the last few years has been outstanding and I can’t wait to watch him go.”