NSW vice-captain Robbie Farah says the ice-cool temperament and kicking game of rookie halfback Trent Hodkinson is tailor-made for the State of Origin arena.
Hodkinson, who qualifies for England because of his father, was a shock selection for the Blues by coach Laurie Daley.
The 25-year-old Canterbury star will make his Origin debut in a cauldron-like atmosphere in Brisbane on Wednesday and Farah has no doubt he can step up to the plate.
“He’s there for a reason and has been picked because we are confident he can do the job,” Farah said.
“We’ve got full confidence in Hokko and ‘Grub’ (Josh Reynolds). They’ve been playing great footy at club level.”
Farah played with Hodkinson in City-Country in 2010 and said he has always been an admirer of his talents.
“He doesn’t got flustered, he is a real calm character,” Farah said.
“He is tough in defence. He is a proper halfback, directing us around the park. His kicking game is spot on.”
Hodkinson has created a reputation as having one of the best kicking games in the NRL and has also won two games for the Bulldogs this season with late field-goals.
And Farah believes that is something the team has been crying out for in recent series.
“Kicking is an area in the last few years where we have let ourselves down,” he said.
“It’s such a key factor in big games that your end to your sets are spot on, that’s a massive advantage to Trent’s game.
“He has matured. You can tell within himself he is a lot more confident. He has stepped in from day one and felt like he has belonged.
“In big games we need execution under pressure. They’ve (Canterbury) come up with big plays to win games.”