Junior Origin is set to make its return this year, with men and women to both be afforded the opportunity to play an under-19s match during the NRL's representative weekend.
The matches, to be played on the Thursday evening, will be played at Campbelltown Sports Stadium and be broadcast on both Channel 9 and Fox Sports.
That in itself is a step up for the concept, which was previously only ever presented by the NRL as a live stream product.
The NRL trumpeted that multiple NRL players could appear in the games - both men and women - when they announced the return of the concept in a press release ahead of the Origin period getting underway.
Junior Origin has often been a pathway for future talent to put themselves on the big state, with talent scouts regularly paying attention to the game, while it also presents an opportunity for the state vs state rivalry - the NRL's biggest - to get a look at the future.
The concept has been on the backburner for the last two years because of COVID, however, in 2019, under-16s, 18s and 20s all had a separate game before each of the main Origin contests, playing on the same stadiums as curtain raisers.
Sydney Roosters' coach Trent Robinson has poured cold water on the concept though, suggesting his NRL players who are eligible - such as Sam Walker and Joseph Suaalii - won't be playing.
This is despite the fact they would miss no NRL games and also would then have a long turnaround to the following week given the fact the representative fixtures are being played on Thursday evening.
“No one’s talked to me about that at all,” Robinson told reporters
“That hasn’t been raised by anybody from the NRL.
“I haven’t heard anything from the NRL about any of our players getting selected.
“They’re NRL players,” he said.
“They’re NRL players who play week-in-week out footy. We expect them to play NRL.
“Over the history of our game, players haven’t played their age group footy once they’ve become NRL players, so I don’t think that would change.”
The comments from Robinson are incorrect however.
The last time an under-20s Origin match was held, his club's own Sam Verrills represented the Blues, having made his NRL debut weeks earlier and going on to play more than half of the season. Many other players - such as Stephen Crichton, Murray Taulagi, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui were also making their way into the competition with debuts around the same time.