Phil Gould has declared Knights star Fletcher Sharpe would be "in the mix" for the NSW Blues as the selection debate heats up.
The introduction of a six-man bench in Origin has led to a number of versatile players being linked to the Blues jersey with Sharpe one of them.
Adam Doueihi, who can play in the halves, centre or even lock, has also been pushed as a possible chance.
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Sharpe started the season on fire with a try and try assist for Newcastle in Las Vegas but he only played 26 minutes before he had to leave the field with a posterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Hunter Valley product missed two matches with that injury and has since played four matches at five-eighth and two in the No.1 jersey.
He has contributed four try assists this season and in matches where he hasn't, Newcastle has lost.
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Gould backed him to put pressure on for a bench spot.
"He's got to be in the mix," he said on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus.
"Particularly if they're going to have six on the bench, he covers a whole swag of positions on the bench. He's a good player, a really good player."
Gould then recounted the moment he first spotted Sharpe in Harold Matthews six years ago.
The Bulldogs football boss said he "looked like (Ryan) Papenhuyzen" back then and tore strips off his opponent.
Sharpe has played all his junior rugby league at the Knights having grown up in Maitland and Cessnock. The 22-year-old debuted for Newcastle in 2024.
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