MY ORIGIN HEARTACHE
Why Blues close call could be the making of James
RYAN James has opened up about the emotional journey of being a fringe Origin candidate and the player that has helped keep alive his dream of representing NSW.
James inched closer than ever before to an Origin debut through the series – going from a late axing for Game One, to being overlooked in favour of Matt Prior for Game Two, to being 18th man for Game Three – but still did not see game time.
The frustration would have had a lesser man ready to give up on his dream but James revealed his time in camp with the Blues had only made him more determined.
“You do put a big amount of emotion into those camps, just being a part of them and also being away from your family,” he said.
“But I did great from it and I feel as though being part of that camp has made me a better person.”
James has been mentioned as an Origin candidate for years and while the disappointment of not earning a debut this year would have left some bitter, James was only thankful for his experiences in camp.
James is generally a glass-half-full personality but Blues forward Tariq Sims helped reinforce his views over the series after his persistence to earn an Origin berth finally paid off.
“Tariq Sims was my roomie and he’s been 18th man for a couple of series – we’re going back three or four years,” James said.
“He’s done it a handful of times and he just stuck it out and went out there and played, and I reckon he was one of the best out there (last week) … He’s definitely putting his hand up to stay in that spot.
“It was great for him to go out there and finally get his chance and he went out there and smashed it.”
James has plenty of high-profile supporters – from Blues coach Brad Fittler and former halfback Peter Sterling, to Maroons great Gorden Tallis, who said the Titans firebrand would already have played Origin if he was a Queenslander.
But in another sign of his strength of character, James is happy to stick to his roots.
“I just love the Blues,” he said. “You can’t do much about it, it’s where you grow up, it’s how you’re raised, so that’s just how I am.”