After putting his injured toe through a full NSW training session, Liam Martin has declared himself a certain starter for State of Origin II.
Martin was back for the Blues’ session on Saturday, getting through a full load of training for the first time since receiving the injury in game one.
After having a pain-killing injection during that game, and another on his NRL return for Penrith last week against Newcastle, Martin did not require any medical intervention on Saturday.
The Panthers second-rower fully expects to get through Origin II without a needle, having successfully come through an opposed session overseen by NRL official Gerard Sutton that NSW hope will give them a gauge on how the ruck will be refereed on Wednesday night at the MCG.
“Hopefully I can play without one as well, because they’re not the funnest things,” Martin said at NSW’s Blue Mountains training camp.
“It’s feeling good. I’ve been off training to manage the load … but I’m ready to go.
“It’s been nearly three weeks … it should be fully healed and good to go.”
The fit-again Martin’s role looms as crucial for the Blues.
He is the state’s chief antagonist, and has made an art form of being one of NSW’s most physical players without giving away needless penalties.
The Penrith second-rower has had Michael Maguire join him as Queensland’s ‘public enemy No.1’ this week, after the coach’s “glass houses” comment accusing the Maroons of hypocrisy.
Usually one of the NRL’s driest media performers, Maguire’s response to suggestions his side illegally targeted Queensland fullback Reece Walsh could go one of two ways at the MCG.
The smokescreen has the potential to pay off for NSW, taking attention away from the return of Latrell Mitchell and Mitch Moses for the Blues.
But it could also potentially fire the Maroons, who were unhappy with the retort offered against their own coach Billy Slater.
Martin said he expected the furore to have little impact on Queensland’s players.
“That’s State of Origin, it’s been like that for how many years?” Martin said.
“The players are all a bit like me. We don’t listen to too much external noise. We don’t focus much on that, it’s more just trying to get our own game right.
“It’s Origin, they will be fired up either way.
“There’s no excuse when it comes to Origin, you have to be at your best and no doubt they will be. We have to match it.”
Source Agencies
