Entering the weekend, King was long odds to be selected, but entered the frame after Jacob Saifiti and Jake Trbojevic suffered injuries which will force them to miss Game I.

That’s not to say he’s not super deserving of the honour. He most certainly is, as there’s something to say about being the best prop in a team who is two wins clear atop the NRL ladder.

King’s story is a great one. At 28, he is enjoying a career best season for the high-flying jersey, leading a tough, uncompromising forward pack.

However, he almost never got to this point.

In 2021, King missed the season because of a foot deformity which kept him out of the game for 18 months.

His rugby league career was on the ropes in 2021 and he considered retirement, until the Bulldogs threw him a lifeline for the 2022 season. He’s now under contract until the end of 2027.

One of the game’s good guys, King’s NRL journey is one of resilience and keeping the faith.

LATRELL MITCHELL

The Rabbitohs superstar’s Round 10 game against the Broncos was the moment that the selection debate swung violently back in Latrell Mitchell’s favour, after he flushed an incredible two-point field goal then poached a sneaky try on full-time to seal a remarkable victory.

From that game, the narrative resumed that Latrell was a big-game player, a matchwinner, a must-pick for the Blues.

Yet before that, there were serious doubts over Mitchell’s form after he began the season late due to a hamstring injury and few people had him in their predicted NSW team, with the Blues not exactly short on quality centre options.

Mitchell delivered another strong game on the doorstep of Origin selection, in a win over Wests Tigers on Sunday night, so he’s entering Blues camp in good nick. He’s a selection winner in the sense that he needed a late form spike to resurrect his NSW claims; but as Wayne Bennett said, Queensland would loved to have seen him miss out given his scary ability and his inclusion is a big boost for the Blues.

CAMPBELL GRAHAM

There’s every chance the Souths star doesn’t play next Wednesday, but the fact he was picked in the Game I squad is a huge achievement in itself, especially for a guy who has endured a tough run of injuries in recent seasons.

Graham missed all of 2024 and a handful of games so far this season.

Graham has been parachuted into the NSW squad as standby for Stephen Crichton, who is reportedly dealing with a groin issue.

Crichton is expected to ultimately play, but the way Graham has bounced back from a tough couple of years to earn a spot in the Blues squad and beat out the likes of Bradman Best and Tom Trbojevic is nothing short of stunning.

If given the chance, there’s no doubt the hard running centre will handle the Origin arena with aplomb. Don’t forget, he was an Australian Test centre in 2022.

SNUBBED TEAMS — WHO AREN’T DISRUPTED

In a funny way, the Sharks getting snubbed across the board for Origin selection is a big result, because they have a stack of borderline Origin-calibre players who now remain at their disposal throughout the rep period without disruption.

Twice-axed Blues playmaker Nicho Hynes has returned to form and admitted he was happy not to be preoccupied with Origin selection this year, while young hooker Blayke Brailey is gunning for the NSW No. 9 jersey on current form. Centre Jesse Ramien has been in excellent form yet flew under the selection radar (before copping an eye poke on the weekend), former Blue Siosifa Talakai is back playing good football and skipper Cameron McInnes didn’t quite get a look-in as the bench utility.

Meanwhile, Braydon Trindall was touted as a possible selection in the Queensland halves had Daly Cherry-Evans form completely nosedived, but he can now carry on unabated for Cronulla.

And of course, two of the Sharks best forwards — Addin Fonua-Blake and Briton Nikora — are Kiwis, while gun centre KL Iro is a Cook Islands Test rep.

The Sharks are running fifth and have won five of their past six games, and will have the chance to build their form without the burdens of Origin.

A nod could also be given to Wests Tigers, who have lost their past couple of games and are just one win above last place on the ladder.

As Benji Marshall attempts to resurrect the long-struggling club, the last thing he would have needed was the absence of stars like Jarome Luai, Apisai Koroisau and Terrell May.

LOSERS

JAROME LUAI

The vanquished party in the marquee halves race with Mitchell Moses, Jarome Luai can on one hand feel hard done by at losing his Blues jersey, having consistently stood up in the arena and thus far having delivered decent form at his new club, Wests Tigers.

On the other hand, joining the Tigers for top dollar and the chance to be the leading man at a badly struggling club was Luai’s choice, and always held the inherent risk of falling down the pecking order for representative football.

Luai could have stayed alongside Cleary at Penrith, which would have kept him as a No. 2 playmaker on less money — but would likely have made him far more difficult for NSW to drop, given the preference for club combinations where possible.

TERRELL MAY

The powerful Wests Tigers prop could hardly have done more to push his selection claims, having been on fire for his new club after his controversial axing from the Roosters.

Yet having been tarred with claims of poor attitude at the Roosters, he seems to have been branded a flaky defender at the Tigers, with that reason whispered for his omission from the Blues.

If that was the reason, then May gave an extraordinary retort on Sunday night in a loss to the Rabbitohs. Per Fox Sports Lab, the front-rower made 61 tackles — without a single miss.

Should the Blues make a losing start to the series and need more oomph off the bench, perhaps he will get a look-in.

JAMES TEDESCO

Barring injury or an extreme form dip from the to (extremely consistent) Dylan Edwards, James Tedesco’s time in Origin football appears to be over.

The Roosters champion has been in wonderful form at club level and has never let down NSW in the Origin arena, but he is now locked in as the No. 2 option for NSW at fullback — with the likes of Ryan Papenhuyzen threatening to take even that dubious mantle, should the Blues want to try a younger player.

Tedesco has had a mighty career and there’s plenty of life in him yet, but it appears that his time in representative football will not end on his terms.

TOM TRBOJEVIC

Heading into Round 11, the Manly star was in the thick of contention for one of the Blues’ wing spots but a poor game coupled with a stunning performance from a NSW incumbent knocked Trbojevic out of the running.

Laurie Daley went with last year’s wing pairing of Brian To’o and Zac Lomax, with the latter handing in a sensational performance (212 metres, six tackle busts, two tries) in his return from a foot injury.

Trbojevic meanwhile, struggled in a Manly win over the Cowboys, committing six errors.

The Sea Eagles star was clearly battling with a knee issue up in Townsville, which Fox League’s Andrew Voss noted in commentary.

“Tom is trying his best. His head is willing but his body is not supporting him 100 per cent,” Voss said.

“The effort, the touches they’re there but the body isn’t.”

Given Trbojevic’s ordinary run of form since returning from a knee injury in Round 8 and Lomax quelling any fears his foot injury would give him any grief in the Origin arena, Daley has put faith in the Eels star for Game I.

Ultimately, it means Trbojevic will have to wait to another day to represent his state for the first time since 2023.

It is welcome news for Manly fans no doubt, who face a depleted Parramatta side in a should win game on Friday night.

MORE ORIGIN NEWS

CRAWLS: Why NSW was right to snub May; QLD reality Billy can’t ignore

MAROONS TEAM: Billy stunner as 3 rookies to be named; injury crisis laid bare

BLUES TEAM: Daley’s headache as duo in doubt; big halves call revealed

RYAN PAPENHUYZEN

There was virtually no chance of Ryan Papenhuyzen getting the No. 1 jersey, but there was another round of buzz that the superstar Storm fullback might get a run at No. 14, with his form excellent and the theory that me might wreak havoc in a free-roaming bench role.

NSW went the more conventional option, again picking Roosters hooker/utility Connor Watson.

Papenhuyzen didn’t even get an extended squad pick, having first earned such selection way back in 2020; for the post-season Origin series that followed his Clive Churchill Medal performance for Melbourne in a grand final win over Penrith.

Former Blues coach Brad Fittler revealed over the weekend that Papenhuyzen arrived in camp with a bad ankle for that series, and otherwise would have played. ‘Freddie’ said it would be “a shame” if Papenhuyzen never got a game for the Blues — but that may well be his fate.