It’s odd hearing Ryan Hoffman refer to NSW teammate Josh Jackson’s output as “rubbish”, but he says there’s no better word and that’s why he’s primed to make an impact in his State of Origin debut.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jackson is the newest face in a formidable back row which will line up for the first game of NSW’s Origin shield defence at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night.
While Origin I will be Jackson’s maiden Blues jersey, the Canterbury back-rower is experienced for a rookie, having started in the 2012 and 2014 grand finals and made his Australian debut in last year’s Four Nations.
Hoffman said Jackson was the kind of player who was ready made for Origin because of his willingness to do the nitty gritty or “rubbish work”.
“Origin is a different beast all together but Josh was part of the squad last year,” Hoffman said.
“He was in camp and he got to experience it. He’s been bashing on the door for a while now wanting to get an Origin berth.
“You know what you want to get from Josh. He does a lot of that, for lack of a better term, the rubbish work.
“If you need someone to push up with you, he’ll be there. If you need someone to come through and make a tackle then that’ll be him.
The Blues will boast a monster bench after electing for a four forward rotation, with the Queenslanders giving more than 40 kilograms to their opponents.
Hoffman said Jackson was also ready to accept the mantle of being a part of the new generation of ‘Bash Brothers’ taking the moniker on from Paul Gallen and Greg Bird.
“Josh Jackson has got a very, very simple role but you know he’s going to do that role well,” Hoffman said.
“That’s what we require. All the new guys have impressed me. I guess that’s the benefit of having kids who are debuting who are really confident in their abilities. They just come into this Origin scenario and they know they’ve got what it takes.
“He’s running hard in training, just as I’m sure he’s going to be running hard on Wednesday night and that’s what we want to see.”
After completing a training run at their Coffs Harbours base on Sunday, the team flew to Sydney in the afternoon as they ramp up preparations for Origin I.
While Queensland has had to deal with several headaches, including question marks over the fitness of Billy Slater, Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges and the withdrawal of Daly Cherry-Evans, it has been smooth sailing for the Blues at Camp Coffs.
The team has had an almost ideal preparation for Game I so far with few hiccups and the laid-back coastal city providing a settled backdrop and few interruptions.
