After having endured 80 minutes of NSW's painful 32-6 defeat to Queensland in 2023, Reece Robson is confident he can handle anything in this year's State of Origin series.
And that includes playing hooker for the entire match, if need be, in game one on Wednesday.
Michael Maguire raised eyebrows by selecting the North Queensland rake as his starting hooker and omitting Wests Tigers counterpart Api Koroisau altogether for the series opener on June 5.
Robson and Damien Cook were picked as hookers for the last two games of the losing 2023 series after Koroisau went down with a broken jaw.
But Koroisau, widely regarded as the NRL's top No.9, had been tipped to reclaim the hooker jersey for Origin I this year, or at least partner with another dummy-half to form the kind of one-two punch Cook and Robson provided last year.
Instead, Robson was picked and tipped to play hooker for the entire 80 minutes.
Cam McInnes is the only other recognised hooker in the Blues' 17 and even then he has not regularly played the position since joining Cronulla in 2021.
But without Koroisau or another hooker eating into his minutes, Robson feels he has the chance to prove what he can do on the game's biggest stage.
"Obviously Api's a great player and does some great things," Robson told AAP.
"But being able to get that chance to play nine, it definitely gives me the chance to take that game with two hands and really make my mark on the game.
"That's what I'm looking forward to the most, being out there for the opportunity so when they do arise I'll be there to take them."
Asked whether he'd be up to the task of steering the ruck by himself, Robson pointed to last year's Origin debut in game two as the perfect preparation.
An early injury to Tom Trbojevic pushed Cook into the centres forcing the Blues to scrap plans for a rotation at dummy-half and leave Robson there for the whole game.
"It was a tough game," Robson said of the heavy loss that ensued.
But the defeat convinced Robson he'd be ready for anything come June 5.
"It's only going to be easier than that," he said.
"Whatever he (Maguire) needs of me and whatever the state needs of me, I'll be there to make sure I do my job."
