Connor Watson has turned to a pair of former Origin greats to model his game as he looks to develop into the Westpac NSW Blues’ match-winner in next week’s series opener.
The versatile talent has made the bench utility role his own since making his State of Origin debut last year, following in the footsteps of Blues legends Craig Wing and Kurt Gidley as an impact player.
Watson has come to appreciate the importance of his position in the side and revealed the duo have played a key role in his development into a representative player.
“When I started playing Craig was in and around the Roosters and then when I went up to Newcastle, I would chat to Kurt a fair bit,” Watson told NRL.com.
“Those two are the guys who made this utility role a thing. Before that, it wasn’t as much a thing and you didn’t get picked in rep sides as a guy who can do that but those guys really laid the platform.
“I’ve always talked to those guys through my career, definitely in the early days and lent into getting as much advice off them as I could.”
The bench utility role has developed into one of the most important positions in an Origin team in recent years, with injuries and Head Injury Assessments an ever-present threat.
The frenetic pace of State of Origin matches has also contributed to their value in a multi-faceted way.
A utility with speed and agility can pick apart tiring defenders and break a game open in the final 20 minutes. The ability to fill in through the middle also provides a chance for fatigued forwards to take a breather and recharge their batteries.
The Maroons have utilised the position to great advantage in the past, with Ben Hunt and Harry Grant forming a powerful 1-2 punch, while Kalyn Ponga nearly swung the match in Queensland’s favour on debut in 2018.
A utility with speed and agility can pick apart tiring defenders and break a game open in the final 20 minutes. The ability to fill in through the middle also provides a chance for fatigued forwards to take a breather and recharge their batteries.
The Maroons have utilised the position to great advantage in the past, with Ben Hunt and Harry Grant forming a powerful 1-2 punch, while Kalyn Ponga nearly swung the match in Queensland’s favour on debut in 2018.
While Wing and Gidley played a crucial role as bench utilities throughout their careers, the Blues have also been caught out in the years since.
Damien Cook was forced to defend in the centres for 73 minutes in 2023 while Michael Maguire’s decision to select four forwards on the bench backfired in Game One last year when Joseph Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i was sent off just seven minutes into the clash.
It came as no surprise when Watson was quickly called into the side for the final two matches of the series.
The utility typically plays hooker or lock for the Roosters but has also spent extended periods of time in the halves, centres and even fullback throughout his career.
It’s this ability to plug gaps across the park that Wing said makes Watson such an important player in the Blues squad.
“It’s all about understanding what the role is,” Wing told NRL.com. “You don’t have much direction going into it, you don’t really know what position you’re coming on to the field but you just have to be ready for everything.
“Connor has the skillset and he’s so tough. You’ve got to be tough to be able to play in the forwards but then you have to have the skill, ability and agility to play in the backs.
“If you’re trying to cover both positions, you need all of those qualities and that’s what he’s got.”
While Watson’s selection provides continuity for the Blues, Queensland have a new face in Tom Dearden as their bench utility.
The Cowboys playmaker has started as five-eighth in all four of his previous Origin matches but Cam Munster’s return and Ben Hunt’s injury has seen the youngster shift to the interchange.
With Harry Grant only returning from a hamstring injury last weekend, Dearden could be called to step in at hooker throughout the contest.
The 24-year-old has come off the bench just three times in his NRL career and has spent the rest of his 114 first-grade matches in the halves, but Maroons coach Billy Slater is confident the playmaker can cover multiple positions if needed next week.
“Tommy Dearden’s taken his game to another level and he can fill a number of positions,” Slater told reporters in Brisbane. “We all know the competitiveness that Tom plays with and we all know the toughness that Tommy plays with. Whatever position you put him out on the field, you know he’s going to do a great job.
“You always think about all different scenarios. You don’t know what you’re going to be dealt with when it comes to selection but I’m really happy with those three guys, Munster, Tommy and our captain in Daly [Cherry-Evans].”
Source: NRL.com