Christian Welch’s whirlwind year from injury fear to Queensland Origin debut

Six weeks after he thought his season was over and his career was in the balance, Melbourne prop Christian Welch will make his Origin debut.

Christian Welch of the Queensland State of Origin team is seen posing for a photograph during a media opportunity in Logan City, Wednesday, July 3, 2019. Queensland are preparing for the 3rd State of Origin against New South Wales to be played in Sydney on Wednesday, July 10. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING

• HE’S BACK: Why Perth defeat cut deeper for Joe O

• TEAM: Walters bets it all on Norman

Queensland debutant Christian Welch admits the past six weeks have been a whirlwind after being told at one stage he might be out for the season with an torn knee ligament injury.

The 24-year-old Melbourne Storm forward has opened up for the first time since receiving his Origin call up from coach Kevin Walters.

Welch has been part of the Queensland Emerging Origin program since 2017 – an anomaly not lost on the former Villanova College student and his parents.

“I think I went to my third Emerging Camp in a row and my parents were sitting there like ‘how long can one person be emerging for?’,” Welch said.

Welch has been in the Queensland set up for some time. AAP Image/Darren England.

“I think I was the longest-serving in that emerging squad but Kevvie still persisted and kept bringing me into the fold.”

It appeared his hard work to crack the Origin side this year was in tatters after being told he had injured his ACL in Melbourne’s 22-20 win over the Tigers, less than a month out from Game One.

“I didn’t sleep that whole night,” he said.

“Mentally, I thought I had done it but then I had some great news the next day.

“It’s been a bit of an interesting six weeks.

“Doing my knee, thinking it was my ACL and out for 12 weeks rehabbing, then to have the great news that it was just cartilage and then back in two weeks.

“It’s a dream come true to get the nod for Wednesday.”

Welch said the potential to wear a Maroons jersey in Game Three spurred on an “aggressive” approach to his rehab, which included doing physio work on his week off to run laps in a Melbourne park.

Welch will make his Origin debut in the decider. AAP Image/Darren England.

“I was certainly really aggressive with my rehab and wanted to get back and play well for the Melbourne Storm and put my name forward for a chance to be picked (for Origin),” he said.

“As a young Queenslander growing up you’ve always got the goal of making this team.”

Walters admitted Welch should have been picked for both Games One and Two barring the injury and said he was happy to have given him the good news at 7pm Sunday night.

“My dad was in Melbourne … and I was just about to drop him back to the hotel when the call came through at about 7 at night,” Welch said.

“It was a really special moment to be there with my dad in the car. To get that call was pretty amazing. My dad was doing fist pumps trying to not make any noise. It was a special night.”

Originally published as Christian Welch’s whirlwind year from injury fear to Queensland Origin debut