I’LL GRAB IT WITH BOTH HANDS

TITANS CAPTAIN GETS ORIGIN CALL UP FOR BLUES,

RYAN James is tipped to finally become a NSW Origin player – if he can see off the threat of two players who were also out of the same Blues production line.

Matt Prior and Tariq Sims joined the Titans captain in a 2011 Emerging Blues squad under Ricky Stuart. Now, seven years later, the trio will vie for the spot in the pack made vacant by the injury of Reagan Campbell-Gillard.

James isn’t getting ahead of himself just yet but has his mental strength to thank for his latest Origin flirtation.

THEY have been locked in battle over a NSW spot for seven long years now.

With Reagan Campbell-Gillard ruled out for State of Origin II through a broken jaw, star players Matt Prior, Tariq Sims and Ryan James are lining-up to be the new NSW front-rower.

Yet it’s not the first time these three have engaged in a contest for a Blues jumper.

James, Prior and Sims were part of a ‘Blues-in-waiting’ squad chosen by then NSW coach Ricky Stuart in 2011.

It was a 51-man squad of NRL players, fringe first graders and under 20s players who participated in a three-day camp at Sydney Olympic Park. Stuart liked what he saw. James would be favourite to replace Campbell-Gillard after an aggressive performance for Gold Coast against Canterbury at Belmore on Saturday.

The Titans skipper was on the verge of selection for Origin I before current NSW coach Brad Fittler opted late for David Klemmer.

The situation would have shattered a lesser player.

But the way in which he has rebounded has as much to do with James’s selection.

In the two games since his disappointment – including Saturday’s 32-10 win over the Bulldogs – James has run for more than 230m, scored three tries and made 82 tackles.

James was loathe to comment on his debut before the final 17 was named.

“(Fittler) will pick the best side what he thinks it is to win and if I’m in it, I’m in it, if not, I’m always hopeful,” he said.

“I’d like to think I’m still pretty young, I’m 26, I’ve got a fair bit of footy in me and hopefully front-rowers mature a bit later, so there’s always hope (if I don’t play Origin II).”

Titans coach Garth Brennan said he would be surprised if his captain wasn’t in the mix.

“I’ve been in the game of football for a long time and there’s not too many better quality people than Ryan James,” Brennan said.

“For him to handle the disappointment of being so close in the last Origin and to come out and show what he’s done for the two weeks since then is a mark of the person as well as a mark of the player.

“I think NSW would be crazy not to give him a crack.”

Speaking yesterday before Canberra’s match against Wests Tigers, Stuart revealed what he saw in Sims, James and Prior back in 2011.

“I saw young ability in them,” Stuart said. “(James, Sims and Prior) have qualities to make it in Origin. All three are big bodies who are all very aggressive performers.”

Meanwhile, Titans centre Konrad Hurrell has been named in the Tongan team for the weekend’s Test against Samoa at Campbelltown.