Fourteen stars striving to end 14-year wait to celebrate a truly special treble
WITH the Blues’ series win safely tucked away, players from St George Illawarra, South Sydney, Sydney Roosters, Melbourne, Penrith and Brisbane are vying for the famous hat-trick.
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THEY are the 14 stars chasing down a 14-year dream. It’s rugby league’s triple treat.
Not since 2004 has any player won a State of Origin series for NSW, claimed an NRL premiership and represented Australia in a single season.
Suddenly, there is a queue.
With the Blues series win safely tucked away, players from St George Illawarra, South Sydney, Sydney Roosters, Melbourne, Penrith and Brisbane are vying for the famous hat-trick.
Dragons Paul Vaughan, Tyson Frizell, Tariq Sims and Jack De Belin are hunting a premiership, as are Rabbitohs’ Damien Cook and Angus Crichton, Melbourne’s Josh Addo-Carr along with Sydney Roosters champions Boyd Cordner, James Tedesco and Latrell Mitchell and Penrith’s James Maloney, Tyrone Peachey and Nathan Cleary along with Brisbane’s James Roberts.
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All 14 are also firmly in contention for Australian honours for the proposed Test against Tonga. No player has clinched an Origin series for NSW, won a grand final and represented Australia in the one year since Andrew Ryan and Mark O’Meley back in 2004 at the Bulldogs.
It is a rare achievement.
Vaughan said Origin success coupled with a premiership and Test jumper would be incredible.
“It’s a little bit surreal at the moment,” Vaughan said.
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“The Origin series win was pretty cool.
“If all the Saints boys can come back healthy after representative duties, we will give it a fair shake. Getting to grand final would be a dream, it’s why you play the game, why you put in the hard yards every day of your professional career.
“If we get a chance to do that, I’d be over-the-moon. It’s an honour to be part of this Origin win and be part of Saints as well. It’s a cool feeling going back there, sitting on top at the moment.
“(Australian representation) is looking ahead a fair way and I don’t look into the future too much. We’ll reassess at that time.
“But when you look at our side, it’s absolutely stacked, there are a lot of talented players there. I don’t think the boys would look out of whack in an Aussie jersey. If you’re playing good footy, you’ll get the Australian jersey as well.”
Panthers and Blues five-eighth James Maloney also dared to dream about the three milestones in a season.
“It would be a big year if you did that, a massive year, amazing,” Maloney said.
“But there are a lot of things to happen for that to happen.
“If you did that, mate, she’d be a big year, for sure.”
Meanwhile, Penrith have drifted out to $9 with the TAB to take out this year’s NRL title.
“Two weeks ago, the Panthers were equal $5.50 premiership favourites but after two below par performances against Canberra and Manly respectively, they now sit on the fifth line of betting at $9,” TAB’s Kristen Fahd said.
South Sydney are $4.50 favourites ahead of Saints and the Roosters, both paying $5.50.
Originally published as Fourteen stars striving to end 14-year wait to celebrate a truly special treble
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