With no finals football and no State of Origin to his name in 2022, Canterbury Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr feared that his hopes of World Cup selection were done and dusted.
But after a call from Mal Meninga and selection into the Prime Ministerโs XIII to take on Papua New Guinea, the man they call Foxx is feeling optimistic about his representative chances.
โNot playing Origin, there are always thoughts in the back of your head,โ Addo-Carr told the Daily Telegraph.
โAfter talking to Mal I focused more on what I had to do for the Bulldogs
โI was so excited Mal gave me a call. At the same time he was just seeing how I was going and stuff, which meant a lot.
READ: Every World Cup squad as it's announced.
โIโm super proud to be part of this (PMโs) team at the moment and hopefully get the call up for the World Cup.โ
Addo-Carrโs chances have only been boosted in recent months with Brian Toโo, Joseph Suaaliโi and Daniel Tupou all informing Meninga they would be representing Pacific Island nations at the end-of-year tournament.
With two Tests and 12 State of Origin appearances to his name, Addo-Carrโs omission from this yearโs series came as a surprise to many, especially as his scoring output hadnโt dropped despite his move from Melbourne to Canterbury.
Ultimately, regardless of the politics and challenges the Kangaroos jersey has faced in recent months, Addo-Carr is ready to do whatever it takes to book his spot on a plane to England.
โIโm the first person (at training) and the last to leave,โ he said.
โI havenโt been over to England too, so Iโve always wanted to be part of a World Cup. Thatโs always been my goal.
โI have no idea yet (if Iโm in the team), but itโs the pinnacle.
โItโs awesome putting on the (NSW) jersey, but playing for Australia and representing your country โ I donโt think you get any higher than that.
โYou get to play with the best players in the world, against the best players in the world.โ
