Ben Barba believes he is in the best form of his career and is desperate for a chance to finally make his State of Origin debut for Queensland.
The Cronulla fullback has been a standout for the Sharks, helping lift the club to the top of the table as they shoot for club record 12th straight victory when they host Parramatta on Saturday night.
Queensland are expected to be without Cowboys star Michael Morgan who could miss up to a month – including Origin III – with a knee injury suffered in game two in Brisbane.
And while the final match of the series might be a dead rubber, Barba would like nothing more than to pull on a maroon jersey in Sydney.
But the mercurial fullback will have to battle it out with good mate Daly Cherry-Evans and Moses Mbye to replace Morgan in the Queensland squad.
“It’d be a dream come true for me to play for Queensland but there’s a long way [to go] in doing that yet,” he said.
“There’s obviously talk. I’d definitely like to play for Queensland one day. But they’ve got a lot of choices to pick from.
“I think there’s more than just me and [Cherry-Evans] that could play there.
“Hopefully my name has been tossed around there somewhere. Hopefully one day, if it’s not the next game [then] down the track I get a look in.”
While he has only spoken to Queensland coach Kevin Walters about his prospects once – at a Maroons dinner in Sydney – Barba has been lighting up the competition with form reminiscent of his Dally M-winning 2012 season.
The 27-year-old said a settled life off the field was the big factor in his career best form.
“I think that just comes down to the support I’ve had here at Cronulla. It’s allowed me to enjoy my footy again and it’s showing on the footy field,” he said.
“I think I’ve just got – this might sound wrong – everything right on and off the field with my family.
“I can’t thank my partner enough for what she does for me, putting up with me. I don’t think many people would. Just getting everything right at home and then having my kids around and making sure I’m looking after them [and] their important things first. I guess that’s allowed me to focus on my footy and enjoy it.”
