The first person to call Todd Carney minutes after he was named NSW Origin five-eighth was his good friend and the bloke who’ll wear the No.7 for the Blues, Mitchell Pearce.
An emotional Carney was getting changed at his home ground after his Cronulla teammates congratulated him on snaring the Blues No.6 jumper for game one of the series in Melbourne on May 23.
The Sharks had just become the first team to beat Melbourne this season and Carney was on top of the world.
Then his phone rang and the bloke on the other end of the line was even more fired up about Carney’s selection.
“Pearcey just rang me before, he’s over the moon too,” he said.
“I’ve spoken to him the last few days and he was the first bloke I spoke to … it is good to know that he’ll be lobbing in my room and hopefully we can click and get that combination going again.
“I went over and stayed with him a few weeks ago and he brought up the possibility (selection)… you talk about these things as mates.
“When he rang before he was pretty excited about the whole week.”
Pearce and Carney formed a brilliant duo for the Sydney Roosters who made it to the 2010 grand final before the gifted five-eighth was set free by the foundation club last year after multiple off field incidents.
Carney linked with the Sharks in 2012 and hasn’t put a foot wrong — on or off the field.
“It’s a goal ticked off and I’m really happy. I just want to thank the Sharks boys, without our form it wouldn’t have been possible,” Carney said.
“I’ll reflect on it when I get some free time when I get away from here. I like to reflect on things like this with my family and friends … I owe a lot to the Sharks and I’ll continue to say that.”
Carney, who toured with the Australian team in 2010, never doubted he could make it to Origin level this year.
“I was confident. I put in a lot of work in the pre-season. I came here with a goal to be one of the fittest in the club and I’ve achieved that,” he said.
“To get this opportunity now is a good step in the right direction for me and me going forward as a person and as a player … the journey’s is not over but for me to get where I am now I feel pretty good.”