Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen, not Clint Gutherson, has been tipped as the next man up as NSW Blues fullback if James Tedesco cannot overcome his knee injury.
Tedesco has been the obvious choice in the No.1 Blues jersey in recent years, but his injury woes has flung Clive Church Medallist Papenhuyzen and Dally M Medal runner-up Gutherson into the conversation for next Wednesday's Origin opener.
League legend Peter Sterling would be forgiven for having a soft spot for Parramatta's Gutherson, but between the two options, the Eels great says that the Melbourne fullback is the better choice, fresh off the Storm's grand final victory.
"I don't think he played his way into the NSW squad with that [NRL grand final] performance - I think he was already there," he said in Wide World of Sports' Sterlo's Wrap.
"He's in their best 17.
"I said eight weeks ago that he would come off the bench for NSW. If James Tedesco doesn't come out of that knee problem, I think he's straight in.
"It's a battle with Cint Gutherson, but I'd have him straight in because he's finished the season with such a flourish and in such a confident manner."
Sterling said the way Papenhuyzen had become one of the Storm's best players, and now a grand final-winning, Clive Churchill Medallist, is testament to how far he's come, especially this season.
"[At the Storm] he was in a battle for that fullback position with Scott Drinkwater and Jahrome Hughes but he's been magnificent. He was told early in his career that he was too small, but he's been fantastic. Billy Slater has had a fantastic influence on him," Sterling said.
"[His try in the NRL grand final] was probably the biggest play of the game because points early in the second half either way were going to be significant, and Melbourne got that and kicked further ahead.
"He was a worthy winner of the Clive Churchill Medal. I thought he was clearly the best player, and it's been a great season."
Sterling highlighted Papenhuyzen's determination to do all the little things - no matter how seemingly impossible - to help his team get ahead, as a major sign of his development.
"In a short period of time he's made a rapid improvement, and he's such a quality player," Sterling said.
Papenhuyzen's efforts to fly over the sideline and slap a penalty kick from Penrith back into the field of play at a crucial time of the game was just one example.
"He never gives up on the ball. These kind of things change momentum, they change games. He did it earlier in the year as well - same thing," Sterling said.
"I don't know whether he played volleyball as a kid but the way he spikes the ball back in both those occasions, they are huge moments in games. The ball is five metres over the sideline but he doesn't give up on it.
"They're big plays and he's come up with them consistently throughout the course of the year."
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