Jake Friend’s rise from larrikin to Origin arena

Jake Friend has grown up since his last outing for the Noosa Pirates, which ended in a premiership and a Mad Monday dash along the waterfront in a Borat mankini.

Jake Friend, 30. is on the cusp of his Queensland Maroons debut. He was 17 when he played in a Noosa Pirates premiership side 13 years ago.

Jake Friend has grown up a bit since his last outing for the Noosa Pirates, which ended in a premiership and a Mad Monday dash along the waterfront in a Borat mankini.

The boy from Noosa who turned into a multiple-premiership winner is set to make his long-awaited State of Origin debut for the Queensland Maroons - an achievement which looked destined to desert him.

It's taken him until the age of 30 and 263 games of NRL to finally be rewarded with his first Maroons jumper.

The man who handed Friend his Sunshine Coast A-grade debut at 17, former NRL player and then captain-coach of the Pirates, Noel Goldthorpe, looked back on his teammate.

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Jake Friend running around for Noosa in 2009 against Kawana at Quad Park. Photo: File

"I just remember how tough he was, those Nambour boys tried to upset him but he didn't take a backwards step," Goldthorpe said of the 2007 grand final.

"But the harder they went, the harder he would too. He wasn't scared at all."

The Pirates crushed their Nambour counterparts 44-18 that day and followed up with some memorable celebrations.

"We'd just left the pub at the villa, heading back to the clubhouse," Goldthorpe said.

"Jake had the Borat costume on running down the street along the waterfront.

"It was so funny, he is such a character.

"He loved a good time, Jake, but he's settled down now.

"When you're young you love a good time, but he has matured into a great young man."

Speaking to Queensland Rugby League media, Friend said he was pumped to at last get his chance to take on the Blues.

Jake Friend of the Queensland State of Origin team in 2014. Pic Darren England.

"I have sat and watched on for a long time, Cam (Smith) has always been the hooker and is a Maroons legend, you ride every game and now I am lucky enough to be a part of it," Friend said.

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Friend admitted he once feared he'd missed the boat.

He'd been part of the Maroons camp in 2014 then overlooked for Andrew McCullough in 2018. Last year he missed the entire series through injury.

"You know, it's not something that weighed on me," he said.

"Obviously you want it to happen but I was getting on and in the back end (of my career).

"You do have doubts but I am just stoked to be here.

"We have a real good mix of young talent and some who have been there and done it.

"I just have to play my game and lead in a sense because I have played more than some of these guys."

Goldthorpe said Friend would handle the initiation just as he'd done for the Pirates way back when.

"He's going to handle it no problem," Goldthorpe, who played three Origin matches for NSW in 1997, said.

"Look at the big games, the grand finals he's played, it'll be like shelling peas.

"He will rip in.

"He's so tough, never shirks the work.

"That's in his makeup.

"If Jake gets the man of the match and NSW win the series 3-0, I'll be a happy man."

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