Before what may be his State of Origin swansong, veteran Melbourne halfback Cooper Cronk says heir apparent Ash Taylor is ready to play for Queensland.
However, Cronk has baulked at the Gold Coast No.7 being hailed as the "next great halfback" before the master and apprentice face off at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Cronk is yet to decide whether he will play on in 2018 after announcing he will leave Melbourne at season's end and join his fiancee in Sydney.
Former Test half Matthew Johns is not only convinced Taylor should take over as Maroons No.7, he believes the Titans youngster would surpass four-time Dally M Medallist Johnathan Thurston as the next great halfback.
Cronk said Taylor - just 22 - had already shown he was ready to play representative football but still had plenty to learn.
"To surpass JT is a fair milestone to reach," Cronk said.
"Ash has definitely got some attributes in his game that can definitely make him play representative footy but he is also a young kid who needs to develop.
"The only way you can improve that is through hard work over time.
"As long as he has that dedication to his craft to get better I am sure he will forge his own history."
Taylor has been a standout despite playing for an injury-ravaged Titans who won just one of their opening seven games.
He leads the league with a staggering 15 try assists.
"Jarryd Hayne is not the Titans' most important player - it's Taylor," Matthew Johns, brother of Immortal Andrew, told News Corp.
"I firmly believe he is the game's next great halfback."
The jury is out on when Taylor will get a chance to earn a Maroons debut after Cronk admitted he is no closer to deciding his future.
"I haven't had a conversation with anyone and I won't be doing that for a period of time," he said of a potential new club.
"The only question I need to ask myself is if I want to play on - not where.
"I can't add any more to that conversation."
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