Jake Trbojevic has been appointed captain for this year's State of Origin after coach Michael Maguire replaced former Blues skipper James Tedesco.
Trbojevic, known for his upbeat demeanour, expressed the news as a surprise when speaking to the media on Monday about being named Captain for New South Wales.
โAny time you get to play for the state is special, but to get to be the leader of NSW, it's a true honour and something I'm really looking forward to,โ Trbojevic said to Nine Media.
"I was walking my dog with my fiance, Alex. She reckons I went white. I really couldn't believe it.โ
Maguire mentioned that selecting the captain wasn't straightforward, but he ultimately decided to appoint Trbojevic because of his passion every time he wears the Blues jersey.
Meanwhile, Nicho Hynes has declared himself fit, although he is still dealing with a calf issue.
"The scans came up pretty good โ I don't think the Sharks would've let me come in, and they wouldn't have had me in here if I wasn't ready to go and they weren't fully confident I'd be ready to play next Wednesday," Nicho Hynes said to Nine.
Hynes is confident in his readiness to play Origin this year, teaming up with a new halves partner, Jerome Luai.
