CHILLING POINTER ON HEADER BLUES CALLCHI UP
TITANS captain Ryan James is on tenderhooks waiting to find out if he is the final NSW 17 for Sunday’s second State of Origin clash in Sydney.
His wife Ana, however, has more practical worries.
“I hope they release (the team) soon, I need to organise the kids. I need to buy them warm clothes for Sydney,” the mother of two joked yesterday.
James, 26, has been named in a squad of 20 but is locked in a battle with Matt Prior to replace the injured Reagan Campbell-Gillard in the final 17.
Ms James was in a relaxed mood yesterday as her husband waits to see if he will make his Origin debut this weekend.
She joked about having to “take a Berocca” to make the 8.20pm kick-off.
“(The boys) won’t be coming to the actual game. It’s way too late — it’s too late for me, let alone for the kids,” said the mother of Brooklyn, three months, and Carter, two-and-a-half years.
“I actually never watch it because I’m too tired, I go to bed. I might have to have a Berocca or something.”
James’s close friend Jarrod Wallace — who will turn mortal enemy for Queensland on Sunday night if the pair square off — said his mate was shattered to have missed out in Game One after being booked to fly south.
But Ana said he was far from bitter despite being told to unpack his bags at the last minute when coach Brad Fittler plumped for Bulldogs prop David Klemmer instead.
“He was just frustrated,” Ana said.
“It’s good that he got to be in the squad (this time). If he doesn’t get picked (in the final 17), he’s not going to be upset. He’s happy to be there.
“Just the fact people were talking about him the previous years, he was just happy that people thought he should be there.
“I don’t think he’s ever been disappointed he hasn’t been picked.
“He just wants to keep playing for his club and play as well as he can in club football.”
RYAN James is the one that got away from the Maroons.
Raised in Bilambil, just over the NSW border, James started out representing Queensland in the under-18 schoolboys while attending Palm Beach Currumbin State High
School on the Gold
Coast.
“I played Queensland schoolboys for two years and then one year I got chosen for the NSW under-18s and Queensland under-18s,’’ James said.
“I grew up supporting the Blues, but going to Palm Beach Currumbin, I had to chuck on the (Maroons) jersey.
“You just know when something doesn’t feel right.’’
Called into the NSW Origin II squad because of the omission of Reagan Campbell-Gillard (jaw), James says he was forced to resist pressure from retired Cane Toad Nate Myles.
“I had the opportunity to sign with either (NSW or Queensland),’’ James said.
“There was a question (in his contract) I had to answer and I was just like, ‘NSW’.
“The way Dad raised me, I supported NSW.
“Our physio at the time was the Queensland physio.
“We had Nate Myles there as well.
‘‘A couple of them tried to get me in there (Queensland), but one of my great mates is Greg Bird.
“Just watching him play and the dominance they (NSW) had when I was growing up, it has always been a dream.
“When Ryan Girdler scored all those tries and took all those intercepts (2000) … I’ve still got a Girdler NSW jersey still at mum’s house.
“It would be good to have a ‘James’ one next to it some day.’’