South Sydney enforcer Keaon Koloamatangi is realistic about missing out on the NSW starting 17 after the dominant performance from the Blues' big men in Origin I.
Despite the Rabbitohs forward having arguably the best month of his career - racking up over 200 run metres in each of his past four games - he didn't expect coach Laurie Daley to change his winning formula.
An ACL tear to Warriors forward Mitch Barnett opened the door for a new forward in the NSW team, but Daley chose to elevate game one squad member Stefano Utoikamanu, with Koloamatangi coming onto the extended bench.
"Obviously you want to be able to play and be in the 17, but everything happens for a reason," Koloamatangi told AAP.
"The team would have been obviously unchanged because of the dominant win in game one, so I'm just happy to be here."
The 27-year-old says he's eager to use the experience of the Blues' camp to learn off the likes of game-one hero Payne Haas.
Koloamatangi played one game of Origin in 2022 and will use his NSW recall to soak up the confident atmosphere before game two in Perth next Wednesday.
"You can always improve your game no matter how good you are," Koloamatangi said on Tuesday.
"I'm just looking forward to being able to train with the boys and see what they're doing on a daily basis that people don't see."
Another unlucky player on Daley's extended bench is 18th man Matt Burton, who will now miss Canterbury's game against Koloamatangi's Rabbitohs on Sunday.
Burton is no stranger to the No.18 jersey, having filled the role several times for NSW in the past, and says preparing as a utility presents unique challenges.
"Eighteenth man's a bit tricky, you don't know where you're going to get to come on," Burton told AAP.
"It's just about me getting my reps during the week at different positions and go from there."
Burton's club coach Cameron Ciraldo has been critical in the past of not being able to pick Origin 18th men for club duties, but his five-eighth insists his coach was full of good wishes for the experience.
"(Ciraldo) was pumped for me to be back in this arena and around the group," Burton said.
"We (the Bulldogs) obviously want players in this arena so he didn't say too much, just 'Enjoy the week'."
