Newcastle centre Dane Gagai admits he is allowing himself to dream of pulling on a Maroons jersey.
Gagai put in a powerhouse two-try performance to lead the Knights to a 24-14 victory over New Zealand in their NRL season opener at Hunter Stadium on Saturday.
Gagai has a big few months ahead of him with an Origin berth on offer and a big decision to be made about his future as he comes off contract at the end of the season.
The 24-year-old is in the sights of the Brisbane Broncos, with his former Knights coach Wayne Bennett eager for Gagai to play once again for the club he turned out for in 2011.
Hailing from Mackay, he has strong family ties to Queensland and Newcastle coach Rick Stone admitted the club has a fight on its hands to hold on to the gifted youngster.
Gagai said he was committed to the Knights’ 2015 campaign and not contemplating offers from other clubs, with his manager taking care of contract negotiations.
His performance against the Warriors – which included scoring the side’s first two tries and making an intercept which led to Robbie Rochow’s match-winner – would have caught the attention of rival clubs hoping to steal his signature as well as Queensland coach Mal Meninga.
With Darius Boyd out with a knee injury until at least June, there are spots in Queensland’s backline up for the taking.
Gagai said he remained focused on performing for the Knights week-in and week-out but was beginning to believe he was in the Origin frame.
“I’ve just got to keep performing for the team and get a few wins together for the boys first,” he said of his Origin chances.
“Origin’s still a while away.
“I’ve said it’s in the back of my mind but I’m starting to think about it a bit more now.
“But the only way you put yourself up for selection is by putting everything you’ve got in for the team and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Stone said the club was “desperate” to keep Gagai and was preparing to table a formal offer to his management.
“I think Dane’s been pretty focused the last couple of years, it’s not just this year,” Stone said when asked about the secret to his charge’s form.
“This is probably the culmination of three consistent years for him and he’s got his life pretty settled and he’s got a decision to make (regarding his next contract), but he’s in a comfortable place with his footy at the moment.”
