Nate Myles primed to step up as enforcer following Thaiday withdrawal

NATE Myles is primed to take on the role of Maroons enforcer after the loss of second-row partner Sam Thaiday to a shoulder injury.

Nate Myles

NATE Myles is primed to take on the role of Maroons enforcer after the loss of second-row partner Sam Thaiday to a shoulder injury.

Given the honour of wearing the No. 11 made famous by inaugural Origin captain Arthur Beetson, Myles did the jersey proud in a man-of-the-match effort with 36 tackles, many of them bone rattlers.

Dave Taylor will wear Thaiday's No. 12 jumper in Sydney on Wednesday, his size giving the starting pack a new look against a Blues outfit determined to lift to another level after an encouraging display in Origin I.

NSW prop James Tamou, in particular, has been talking the talk in recent days and his Cowboys team-mate and Queensland halfback Johnathan Thurston says it is "scary" to think of what the 114kg giant might do on Wednesday.

But Myles will be ready for the challenge.

"For a tall bloke he takes the ball runners by surprise because he bends his back pretty well," Queensland conditioner and former Maroons skipper Trevor Gillmeister told The Sunday Telegraph.

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"(Former Queensland player) Paul McCabe used to take blokes by surprise too, and the beauty of Nate is he can do the chest tackle if he has to, or he can bend his back and drive in the tackle. You have to be a good player to be able to do that."

Myles said yesterday he was ready to play more minutes if needed in Origin II.

"We all have to lift now that Sammy is out," he said. "Their pack did a good job in Melbourne and they will have plenty of confidence."

Thurston said Tamou's form for the Cowboys had been great and the Queensland forwards should be on alert if he was talking about being dominant in Sydney.

"He just seems to grow bigger and his confidence seems to get higher each game, so it's a scary thought," Thurston said.

Myles said he was flattered to be named man of the match in Origin I, especially as lock Ashley Harrison and winger Brent Tate had played so well.

Back at the team hotel, Myles embraced his father who was waiting in reception wearing a Queensland jumper.

"Most people have been telling me blokes like Ash and Brent should have got the award over me," Myles said.

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