Josh Addo-Carr has promised Melbourne teammate Will Chambers there’ll be no respite as he and Latrell Mitchell plot to once again pick him apart in State of Origin I.
Mitchell last year established himself as the game’s premier centre when he scored four resounding one-on-one victories over Chambers during NSW’s Origin series win and the Sydney Roosters’ grand final victory over the Storm.
The 21-year-old did what few others have managed – get under the skin of Chambers, renowned as one of the game’s greatest competitors.
Plenty has been made of their return bout on Wednesday night, and Addo-Carr said the trio were firm friends off the field, having played together earlier in the year for the Indigenous All Stars.
“We’re all good friends off the field. But it’s that mate-versus-mate mentality when you get on the field,” Addo-Carr said.
“We’ve got a job to do.”
It was speculated Queensland could move Chambers from the right side to the left, placing him on the opposite side of the field to Mitchell.
He has moved to the left flank alongside Addo-Carr at club level this year, but has trained on the right in Queensland camp over the past week.
Addo-Carr said Mitchell was continuing to blossom as a player and he had watched him grow into a superstar of the game.
“As the seasons go by, you see him mature on the field a lot,” Addo-Carr said.
“Some things that he wasn’t good at last year, he’s doing better this year. It wasn’t big stuff. But he’s got a lot of confidence and it’s a pleasure to play with him.”
Addo-Carr and Mitchell, along with Blues teammate Cody Walker, have all stated their intention to refuse to sing the national anthem as a form of protest against the chasm that exists between indigenous Australia and the rest of society.
The Storm winger said he and Mitchell, who are once again roommates in Blues camp, had bonded over their indigenous heritage and it showed on the field.
“It’s just a thing that all cultures have. Every culture has their own lingo. It’s pretty special,” Addo-Carr said.
“As everyone knows every culture has their similarities. The slang and how we Koori fellas talk, it’s pretty funny.”