NSW tyro Tyson Frizell has been hailed for refusing to succumb to a rib injury leading up to Wednesday's State of Origin decider.
Frizell was considered in serious doubt to take on Queensland after his rib complaint was compounded by a back injury sustained during his most recent outing for St George Illawarra.
The concerns were enough for Frizell to be withheld from contact work for the Blues' entire camp in Kingscliff but he will be a certain starter for game three with the aid of painkilling injections.
Blues captain Boyd Cordner praised his Origin teammate for the toughness he showed in playing through the pain barrier in Origin II, as well as subsequent games for the Dragons.
It will be his fifth straight game playing with the help of an anaesthetic.
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"It was a tricky one with his ribs there. I felt sorry for the bloke watching him play against the (Gold Coast), he looked in a bit of pain," Cordner said.
"But he'll be right to go. He's a tough boy and I don't think he'd want to miss this one either."
Cordner himself is set to overcome a calf injury he suffered in Origin II when he completes Tuesday's captain's run at Cbus Stadium on the Gold Coast.
The 25-year-old had been in doubt for the decider all week but his health progressed enough over the first part of the week to join his teammates for an opposed session on Sunday.
And while he remained confident of leading the team out on Wednesday, he insisted he would have no hesitation in pulling out should his calf be at risk of tearing again.
"If I didn't think I was right to go or 100 per cent in my head right to go, I wouldn't be that selfish. I always put the team before myself and always have done that," he said.
He also said he was unsure whether he would retain his full 80-minute shift.
"I suppose you'd have to ask (coach Laurie Daley) that. I haven't spoken to him too much about interchange or anything like that yet. At this stage, yeah I'll be looking to play 80."
