Kalyn Ponga has glided into Queensland camp in the sweet spot of his career and confident he can shine at fullback.
It was coach Billy Slater who used the "sweet spot" reference to explain why Ponga had got the nod ahead of Australian custodian Reece Walsh for the State of Origin series opener on May 27 in Sydney.
The 28-year-old's Origin career has been interrupted by injury at crucial times. He made his debut in 2018 but has only played 10 times for the Maroons.
In 2022, the only time he played all Origin matches in the series, Ponga was man of the match in the decider.
This year he started the season on fire for Newcastle, got injured, then came back in sensational form.
