Reagan Campbell-Gillard is set for the perfect test of his State of Origin credentials when he goes head-to-head with Payne Haas in Darwin but Parramatta coach Brad Arthur has already seen enough to declare the Eels prop ready for a recall.
Despite Campbell-Gillard's solid individual performance, coach Brad Fittler dropped the front-rower from his NSW side as part of a raft of changes that followed the Blues' loss in the 2022 series opener.
Fittler overlooked Campbell-Gillard even after injuries struck down Blues props Haas and Jordan McLean, handing Jacob Saifiti his Origin debut instead of recalling the Eels enforcer.
Eight rounds into the season, speculation is swirling over which players will be chosen for this year's series, in which the Blues will seek vengeance for their 2-1 loss last time around.
Campbell-Gillard appeared to re-enter the selection frame with a big effort in Sunday's 30-4 defeat of Canterbury, running for 197 metres and crashing over for a try.
"That was a pretty big game from Reg (Campbell-Gillard) but I've seen plenty of those games from him throughout his time at Parramatta," Arthur said.
Campbell-Gillard can bolster his Origin case if he is able to match it with Haas, the form prop of the competition, when the Eels meet the Broncos at TIO Stadium on Friday night.
"With Reg, teams are going to come after him but he can keep giving the same every week," Arthur said.
"The Broncos will come after him. They know he's a real enforcer for us and they've got a couple of enforcers."
Ahead of the showdown, Arthur threw his support behind Campbell-Gillard and Eels front-rower Junior Paulo for NSW Origin honours.
Paulo has played every game of the last three series, while Campbell-Gillard is vying for a third Origin appearance.
"They're playing against Payne Haas, who'll be in that selection process," Arthur said.
"I've got no hesitation in saying those two (Paulo and Campbell-Gillard) should be in the team."
Friday marks the ninth iteration of the Eels' annual Darwin fixture but only once before have they come into the match on the back of a five-day recovery from their previous fixture.
Parramatta arrived in the Northern Territory on Tuesday to acclimatise to the tropical conditions and will spend the remainder of the week juggling training with community engagements.
Arthur was unfazed by the quick turnaround from Sunday's match.
"Last year was a big difference because of the humidity but you can see how comfortable the weather is at the moment," he said.
Arthur said the Eels' two pre-season matches, played on February afternoons in Sydney's late summer, served as good preparation for the Darwin heat.
"In those pre-season matches, our games were all day games," he said.
"And we had some stifling heat then even early in the season.
"There's no excuses. We can't do any more to get ourselves ready to play."
