Ben Barba has put the rest of the NRL on notice, saying his time with the Queensland camp has him primed to lift his game to another level and make his State of Origin debut.
Adding even more motivation for the Maroons 18th man is the lure of the fullback spot, with Melbourne’s Billy Slater in serious doubt for the Origin decider with a knee injury.
With Slater in doubt, the dynamic Canterbury custodian acknowledges he has a tremendous opportunity to step in either at fullback or on the bench at Suncorp on July 4.
And he plans on leaving no doubt about whether he should be there, starting with Friday’s clash with St George Illawarra in Wollongong.
“Coming to this camp has prepared me for if this situation came along (where Slater was injured),” Barba told AAP.
“If I ever get the chance, I’ll gladly take it but Billy’s a professional footballer … I’m sure he’ll sort it out and most likely be fine for the game but, if I get the chance, I’ll gladly put my hand up and play my part in whatever way it is.
“Any Origin time would be a blur for me. I’d be stoked if I ever got the chance to play one minute.
“I’ve just got to go back now and play well for my club side on Friday and then hope for the best.”
Barba has been in scintillating form for Canterbury in 2012, scoring nine tries, but says he expects more from himself after his introduction to Origin.
“I’ve enjoyed my time and I’ve tried to learn from my time in this camp and, hopefully, I can take what I’ve learned out of this and use it in my club form,” Barba said.
“Just watching these guys going around now … Cameron Smith, your Billys and your Johnnos (Johnathan Thurston) and your Coopers (Cooper Cronk) … you look at how well they prepare for such a big game. It’s definitely taught me a lot.
“Hopefully, I’ve learned from them and use that at my club, and it improves my form for my club.”
It’s an ominous warning for a struggling Dragons outfit that have failed to score more than 18 points since round eight, losing four of their past five to slip to 10th on the NRL ladder.