Brisbane Broncos forward Kobe Hetherington has reportedly caught the attention of QLD Maroons selectors after an impressive start to the 2025 NRL season.
Linked with a move to the St George Illawarra Dragons and Wests Tigers at the back end of last year, there were constant fears that Hetherington had played his final match at Red Hill and would find himself gaining an early release from the remainder of his contract.
However, he has flourished under new coach Michael Maguire and started in all four of their matches at lock, which has seen teammate Patrick Carrigan transition to the starting front-row.
Able to play anywhere in the forwards, he has been likened to former Origin icon Trevor Gillmeister and is coming off representative honours which saw him named in the Prime Minister's XIII squad to face Papua New Guinea at the end of 2024.
The son of former QLD Maroons representative Jason Hetherington, Kobe has now caught the attention of Origin selectors and impressed them with his excellent form to begin the season, per The Courier-Mail.
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Attemping to win back the State of Origin shield, coach Billy Slater and his selectors are expected to have a hard time picking their squad for Game 1 with Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Tom Gilbert back in the mix after missing last year's series due to injury.
Recently, Slater confirmed that both Canberra Raiders forward Corey Horsburgh and Cronulla Sharks playmaker Braydon Trindall will also be in State of Origin contention.
Coming off a career-best season in 2024, Trindall has continued his tremendous form to begin this season and was one of the club's best in Round 3 which saw him score one try and provide a try assist as he guided them to an easy victory.
Able to represent Queensland, he has emerged as a potential bolter for the representative team if Daly Cherry-Evans decides to hang up the boots on his State of Origin career.
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Re-signing with the Sharks last November on an upgraded three-year contract extension, he played a key role in leading them to the Preliminary Final.
"I'm fully aware that he's a Queenslander, that's for certain," Slater said on The Sunday Footy Show.
"The way that he's played, not just this year but last year as well, he's someone to certainly keep an eye on. I don't think that would be beyond him, for sure."
