A revitalised Will Chambers says he “couldn’t care less” about rival Latrell Mitchell’s State of Origin axing but is grateful for being spared the same fate by Queensland selectors.
Chambers would have been forgiven for breathing easier after the man who terrorised him in the 2018 Origin series – Mitchell – was sensationally dumped by NSW for Sunday’s game two in Perth.
But the 31-year-old centre claimed Mitchell’s shock sacking had hardly registered before his 12th Origin.
“I couldn’t care less about them to be honest,” he said.
Chambers said his priority was repaying the Queensland selectors’ faith after admitting he feared he would be dumped just like Mitchell following his horror 2018 Origin campaign.
Mitchell at times toyed with Chambers in NSW’s 2-1 series victory last year, prompting real fears for the veteran Maroons centre that he would be punted in 2019.
Instead Queensland selectors stuck with the Melbourne NRL star and Chambers remarkably turned the tables on Mitchell in the Maroons’ 18-14 Origin I win at Suncorp Stadium this month.
Chambers said he was not worried about answering his critics in game one, just happy he had rewarded the Maroons selectors.
Asked whether he had silenced the doubters in his sensational Origin I display, Chambers told AAP: “I don’t think I had to answer to anyone.
“At the end of the day the selectors were loyal to me. They gave me another chance and all I wanted to do was repay their faith.
“I had a bad series last year but the coaches and selectors stuck loyal.
“The only thing I wanted to do was play good for them.”
Still, Chambers admitted there were some anxious moments before his name was called out for the 2019 opener.
But after an off-season of soul searching, Chambers believed he had emerged this year a different player and better person.
“Last season was a bad year not only in rep footy but in clubland,” he said.
“I went away and looked at where I could improve. A lot of it was trying to be over aggressive.
“I was just losing my cool, but I got on top of all of that.
“Now it is about controlling myself and not losing my head, not getting frustrated with things, just moving on.”