A shoulder injury won't stop Jai Arrow being fit to enter Queensland State of Origin camp for the first time if he's selected this week.
The Gold Coast player's Origin stocks continued to rise in Saturday's clash with the Sydney Roosters, with Arrow topping the running charts for both teams even though he missed the last 20 minutes.
The 22-year-old left the field and didn't return shortly after copping a knock to his shoulder but said the injury wouldn't hinder him if he was called to make his Maroons debut when the squad is announced on Monday.
"I just copped an elbow to my AC joint. It's a bit of bruising but nothing too major," Arrow said after the Titans' 34-14 loss.
"They're a big, physical pack. I have to stand in my way and put my body on the line."
Saturday's shoulder complaint falls into a familiar category for Arrow in his breakthrough season: bad enough to bring him down but not hard enough to keep him out.
He missed part of the pre-season with a rib problem then injured his back last month and was taken to hospital during a game in Canberra three weeks ago with yet another rib injury.
But despite it all, he's missed only one game this season as he's gone from spending part of last year in the Queensland Cup while at the Broncos to becoming the Titans' best forward.
And he says all the injury problems are under control going into a potentially punishing representative period.
"I went and saw a back specialist and she had a play around with my sternum and when she was pushing down on my sternum it was grabbing my back a bit up top," he said.
"So I'm starting to wear a sternum pad, which is helping. It's settling it down."
Whether Arrow is rewarded with Origin selection by Kevin Walters may depend on Josh McGuire's fitness but the Titan's toughness has already inspired his teammates and coach Garth Brennan.
"He's a warrior. He puts his body on the line in everything he does," Brennan said.
"He is certainly one you can build a club around for sure. He's one the players love playing with."
