TIGERS FIRST PRIORITY BUT ORIGIN APPEALS
RUGBY LEAGUE: Queensland State of Origin hopeful Moses Mbye has thrown down the challenge to young gun Kalyn Ponga in the battle for the Maroons’ No.1 jumper.
Newcastle sensation Ponga is considered the frontrunner for the Queensland fullback spot this season following the retirement of Storm champion and Queensland stalwart Billy Slater.
Mbye, a two-time member of Queensland’s Emerging Origin squad, knows he must deliver the most consistent football of his career at the Wests Tigers to put pressure on Ponga at the Queensland selection table.
Buoyed by his shock coronation as Wests Tigers skipper for the 2019 campaign, Mbye is keen to make the leap from club footballer to Queensland Origin representative.
“There’s no doubt I would love to play Origin,” said Mbye, a Noosa Pirates junior.
“Every kid who was born on the Queensland side of the border dreams of that Maroon jersey, but you get those rewards from playing consistent footy and quality footy in club land. To be honest, I haven’t always done that.
“You need to focus on NRL form. You can’t be going into the NRL thinking I will play Origin one day.
“The more success you have at club level, the more opportunities you get personally in the rep arena.
“If I can get the Tigers going in the right direction, then I’ll be putting my hand up. My main focus is start well early for the Tigers – I can’t wait to rip in.”
Mbye has played 103 first-grade games since his debut for the Bulldogs in 2014, and despite posting a century of NRL games the playmaker with African blood admits Queensland fans have yet to see the best of him.
“I’ve been a bit patchy and inconsistent throughout my career,” said Mbye, who played in the Bulldogs’ 2014 grand final loss to Souths.
“I was happy last year with my consistency. I felt I bridged that gap between my best and worst games and that’s what the quality players in the NRL manage to do.
“For me, this year is about consistency. I’ve had four coaches in 18 months, so now I’m looking forward to working with ‘Madge’ (new Tigers coach Michael Maguire) and building a successful culture for this club.”