His form is so patchy that Michael Morgan has joked that he may end up in reserve grade when he returns to NRL club North Queensland after Wednesday’s State of Origin opener.
But Queensland’s Morgan says he is more determined than ever to regain his mojo in Origin I at the MCG after getting his head around again being relegated to the Maroons bench.
Test pivot Morgan began the season looking like a certainty to play in Queensland’s halves for the first time as the Maroons began life without retired greats Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk.
However, an out of sorts Morgan couldn’t even nail down a starting halves berth for North Queensland ahead of Origin I after being shifted from pivot to fullback by the Cowboys in a bid to regain his Midas touch.
Morgan joked that he may not even have his Cowboys fullback gig when he returns from Maroons camp after fill-in No.1 Lachlan Coote helped inspire North Queensland’s NRL win over Manly on Thursday.
“I thought Cootey had a pretty good game the other night. Actually Greeny (Cowboys coach Paul Green) rang me up after the game and said ‘no rush back fellas, good luck on Wednesday’,” Morgan laughed.
“Who knows, I might go back to the (Cowboys feeder side Townsville) Blackhawks.”
Instead of taking over the Maroons No.7 jersey, Morgan has been relegated back to the bench utility role he first filled in his 2015 Origin debut.
Morgan will make his eighth bench appearance in his ninth Origin on Wednesday after his sole Maroons start in game three last year in the centres.
While disappointed to have missed a rare chance to nail down a Maroons halves start, Morgan was convinced his Queensland stint could catapult him back to his 2017 form.
“I wanted to come in with a fresh mindset, leave what happened at clubland there for a little while, enjoy the week here and that is what I have done,” Morgan said.
Last year Morgan used the Anzac trans-Tasman Test to springboard to career best form, guiding a Cowboys side without Thurston to a shock 2017 NRL grand final before dominating the Rugby League World Cup as Kangaroos five-eighth.
“It has been a pretty big difference the end of last year compared to the start of this year – they are two opposite ends of the spectrum,” Morgan said.
“When you are going well and everyone is rapping you, it is easy to go with it.
“And when things aren’t going well and you are not winning and not playing as well you can be, it is important to focus more than ever.
“That’s what I have been doing, not kicking stones during the week, just try and be better.”
