Brisbane Broncos' coach Kevin Walters and captain Adam Reynolds have anointed Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs as potential State of Origin players in 2023.
The Broncos managed to record a 26 points to 16 victory over the Parramatta Eels in Darwin on Friday evening, improving their record to start the season to seven and one.
Without a bye yet, the club sit four points ahead of their nearest rivals, although the Penrith Panthers and New Zealand Warriors still have to play this round and could close the margin to two points.
Brisbane, who sat in the top four during the first half of last season before a dismal fadeout, have become the hot topic of the competition though, and it's returned home recruit Reece Walsh who has led the way.
The 20-year-old, who has previously been amongst Queensland squads, has had 13 try involvements, 36 tackle breaks, 6 line breaks and 157 metres per game across his seven outings so far this year.
His numbers against Parramatta were again excellent in difficult conditions, adding a try assist and 115 metres, while his work off the ball and in defence was outstanding.
Captain Adam Reynolds said he wouldn't be out of place if picked in the Queensland number one jumper.
"I hope not because I'm a Blue," Reynolds laughed.
"He has the makings to obviously be there. He has been picked before and wouldn't look out of place if he got picked again."
It's likely that Walsh is in a two-way race to be picked as Queensland's fullback, with incumbent Kalyn Ponga to return from concussion this weekend for the Newcastle Knights against the North Queensland Cowboys.
Ponga has shifted into the halves this year, and his long stint out of the game could leave questions over his Origin selection.
AJ Brimson is the other player who has been mentioned in the race for the custodian role when Billy Slater picks his side for Game 1 on the evening of May 21.
While Walsh will be the popular pick in Queensland's side amongst fans, Kevin Walters may have thrown an extra name into the mix to play in the New South Wales' Blues centres, suggesting Kotoni Staggs' form is good enough to warrant consideration by coach Brad Fittler and his selectors.
"They don't pick the sides for another five or six weeks," Walters said.
"He [Kotoni Staggs] wouldn't look out of place in any jersey - except for a Maroon one I reckon."
Staggs played one game for the Blues last year, and like Walsh, has been in fine form so far in 2023, with seven tries in eight games.
Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell are widely expected to walk straight back into the centres for the Blues after missing the series through injury last year.
That would leave Stephen Crichton and Matt Burton, as well as Staggs, on the outer of the side, but there are constant questions over the fitness of Trbojevic, potentially leaving a spot wide open to be fought out.
Crichton's performance against the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Thursday evening, where he scored a hat-trick, left plenty selecting him ahead of Trbojevic, while Campbell Graham has also been a popular option to potentially make his debut in the interstate arena, either moving Trbojevic to the wing or pushing him out of the side completely.
Game 1 of the Origin series will be played in Adelaide on May 31, with Game 2 to be played in Brisbane and the potential decider in Sydney on July 12.
