The rise of a young gun Dolphins recruit has thrown an extra spanner in the Queensland fullback conundrum.
Second-year Maroons coach Billy Slater was already facing a selection headache with the form of Broncos No.1 Reece Walsh putting heat on incumbent custodian Kalyn Ponga.
Ponga has been out of action for the past month due to concussion, but looks set to return for the Knights in round eight, leaving him four NRL games to push his Origin case.
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Ponga was man of the match in game three last year as the Maroons clinched a series victory over New South Wales.
And if the puzzle wasn’t already hard enough for Slater to solve, a third contender has thrown his hat in the ring with some hot form over the opening rounds of the season.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 21, starred for the expansion team in its round six victory over his former club, North Queensland.
His performances have elevated his stocks to the point Queensland selector Darren Lockyer admits he could very well beat Ponga and Walsh to the jumper.
“It is probably one at the moment where you couldn’t categorically say, ‘He is the No.1′,” Lockyer told Wide World of Sports’ QLDER of the fullback battle.
“I think there are three quality candidates there. We don’t know when Ponga will be back, and how he will come back.
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“Your opinion could change weekly. This week you’re saying Hammer, next week it could be Reece.”
Tabuai-Fidow played 50 games for the Cowboys over his first three seasons in the NRL, but was moved between various positions in the backline and on the bench.
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett showed faith by handing the silky ball-runner the No.1 jersey and he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands this year.
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Tabuai-Fidow was picked to make his Origin debut as a teenager in game three of the 2021 series, playing at centre and scoring a try in the 20-18 victory.
He is now one of a number of Dolphins players in contention for Origin selection given the expansion team’s impressive – and highly unexpected – 4-2 start to the season.
“I think when you’re selecting an Origin team you want players who know what the environment is about, and what’s required, and they’ve got good habits,” Lockyer told QLDER.
“Good habits come from teams that are winning, and playing well.
“At the moment some of those players at the Dolphins have winning habits, so it’s just a matter of if those habits are still happening in five weeks’ time.”
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