Cowboys’ Justin O’Neill faces a battle to retain his Queensland spot for Origin I

COWBOYS centre Justin O’Neill concedes he faces a battle to retain his Queensland jumper for Origin I after a tryscoring drought that has spanned 519 minutes.

Justin O'Neill’s dry patch could cost him. (AAP Image/Michael Chambers)

COWBOYS centre Justin O’Neill concedes he faces a battle to retain his Queensland jumper for Origin I after a tryscoring drought that has spanned 519 minutes.

O’Neill has appealed for Maroons coach Kevin Walters not to axe him and hopes Queensland’s tradition of loyalty will safeguard him for the Origin opener on May 31.

The Queensland side for Origin I is named next week and the form of several rival threequarters has placed O’Neill squarely in the firing line for the series opener.

The 26-year-old was outstanding for Queensland last season, playing all three games in his debut Origin campaign at right centre in the Maroons’ 2-1 series victory. But the Cowboys’ patchy early-season form this year, coupled with O’Neill’s struggles with a recent hamstring injury, has placed his Origin hopes in jeopardy.

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Justin O'Neill’s dry patch could cost him. (AAP Image/Michael Chambers)

In seven games this season, O’Neill has made just one line break and has yet to cross the white stripe.

At the corresponding stage last season, O’Neill had scored seven tries in a burst of form that catapulted him into his maiden Origin jumper.

O’Neill has one final chance to impress Queensland selectors against premiers Cronulla this Thursday night and is determined to lift.

“Our side has been struggling and that hasn’t helped me,” O’Neill said. “Hopefully they (Queensland) show some loyalty, that would be great.

“But if I want to put myself in the best position to be picked, I need to be playing good football for the Cowboys.

“I’d like to think I’m still in there with a chance. I want to do all the right things to be in the position to be selected (for Queensland) but to do that I need to be playing good football for the Cowboys and that’s the focus for me.”

Walters has several options as O’Neill searches for his optimum form.

Dane Gagai, who played on the wing last season for Queensland, is a right centre at Newcastle and has been in red-hot form this season.

Storm ace Will Chambers is Australia’s incumbent left centre, while Corey Oates, Valentine Holmes and Darius Boyd are the wing options if Billy Slater is picked at fullback.

Like his coaching predecessor Mal Meninga, Walters prefers to back Maroons incumbents but says O’Neill needs to deliver consistently to warrant selection.

“He has been a bit rusty in the last few weeks,” he said. “Justin is a proven player at that level and he needs to keep going well to put himself right up there in the picture.

“He showed last year what he can do at Origin level with a bit of confidence.

“But we have good flexibility. Will Chambers and Dane Gagai can both play centre and wing, so there is competition and it’s important all the guys play well in the coming weeks.”

Dane Gagaihas been in great touch. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

O’Neill said being called into Australia’s extended squad by Meninga for the recent Anzac Test boosted his self-belief.

“It was nice to be considered and be seen as part of the team and that Mal still had his eye on me,” he said.

“The week with the boys was really good. It was a fun camp and it was good to be among that calibre of players. It was good to experience that and come back to the Cowboys feeling refreshed.”

Originally published as Cowboys’ Justin O’Neill faces a battle to retain his Queensland spot for Origin I