Divided loyalty causes Blues

PAT Politoni is in the unusual situation of wishing for fortunes to be split on State of Origin night at ANZ Stadium tomorrow.

Politoni hails from Sydney but will line up for the Queensland Residents team in the curtain-raiser, thanks to his affiliation with Burleigh in the Intrust Super Cup.

“Even though I am a Blues fan through and through, I think it is more so representation of the QCup and what a high-quality competition it is,” he said.

“I’m stoked to be a part of it. It’s certainly one of the big highlights in my career, to be playing a curtain-raiser to a very big game and a packed house down in Sydney.”

Politoni’s selection at hooker reflects what has been yet another stellar campaign for him at the Bears.

He won a premiership in his first year at the club in 2016 and last year was recognised as the ISC’s best rake despite missing a stack of games through injury and Gold Coast Titans NRL call-ups.

The 27-year-old believes his blossoming combinations with Burleigh teammates and coach Jimmy Lenihan have allowed him to have a bigger attacking impact than before.

“I am probably a bit more rounded in terms of polish,” Politoni said.

“It is maybe because I have played at the same team for another couple of years … I feel that’s helped my game go up to the next level.

“That is probably why I’m having a few more try assists or line break assists this year, I’m just learning how to play with the same guys.”

Politoni hopes to one day add to his three Tests for Tonga, where both of his parents were born, but had a simple goal for 2018.

“Last year was such an up and down season and I wasn’t really happy off the field as well so my goal this year was just to be really happy on and off the field and it’s certainly working,” he said.

Politoni is joined in the Residents side by Bears teammates Jamal Fogarty and Blake Leary, who will skipper the side.