LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Keaon Koloamatangi, a member of the NSW Blues State of Origin team, is realistic about his chances of playing in game two.
Despite his impressive performance for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, where he has consistently achieved over 200 run metres in each of his last four games, Koloamatangi acknowledges that coach Laurie Daley is unlikely to deviate from a winning formula after the dominant display from the team's forwards in Origin I.
The opportunity for a new forward arose following an ACL tear to Warriors player Mitch Barnett.
However, Daley opted to promote Stefano Utoikamanu from the game one squad instead of Koloamatangi, placing him on the extended bench.
Koloamatangi stated, "Obviously you want to be able to play and be in the 17, but everything happens for a reason." He expressed understanding of the situation, saying, "The team would have been obviously unchanged because of the dominant win in game one, so I'm just happy to be here."
At 27 years old, Koloamatangi is keen to absorb knowledge from standout players like Payne Haas during the Blues' training camp.