A relaxed Greg Inglis has refused to consign his days as a long-striding fullback to the past but says he is happy to return to his old hunting ground in the centres against the Blues in the Origin opener next Wednesday.
With Billy Slater injured, Inglis took the No.1 jersey when the Maroons inflicted a hellish defeat on NSW in last year's decider in Brisbane, but Brisbane's Darius Boyd has been preferred by selectors this time around.
It's been a similar case at South Sydney, where Inglis has been moved up to the front line at five-eighth after struggling to find much momentum from fullback in the first half of the season for the Rabbitohs.
Inglis shrugged off the question at Maroons training on Thursday, saying he was more than content to return to three-quarter line as part of a new-look Queensland outside grouping that also includes fresh faces Justin O'Neill and Corey Oates.
"No, not at all," Inglis said when asked if he was disappointed not to get a roaming commission at fullback. "Going back to the centres, being in that front line again, is something I'm happy to do. I'm not disappointed at all."
If anything, it's a worst-case scenario for NSW, with Inglis instrumental in torturing their edges in Origin football with his devastating in-and-away, coupled with the powerhouse fend. Missing for much of the year, it's made a return in recent rounds.
Slater, in camp with Queensland in a coaching capacity, said the reshuffle was a win-win for Queensland but felt they had made the right call opting for Boyd at the back and Inglis closer to the action.
"It suits the balance of our team. I like the fact that Greg is in the front line and he can get up there and make a few tackles. He's an aggressive defender. You couldn't really make a bad decision with who you played at fullback," Slater said.
The Maroons underwent a light session at Sanctuary Cove on Thursday, with Johnathan Thurston taking part in almost all of the drills as he recovers from a corked hip, courtesy of Queensland teammate Josh McGuire in Brisbane's game against the Cowboys.
But there was little concern from Maroons medical staff or fellow players, with Thurston virtually assured of lining up for his 34th consecutive Origin appearance. "It's just a bruise. He'll get over it," Inglis said. "It's JT. He's come back from worse things than that.
"I have been in camps where he has been in hospital the day of the game and he has got man of the match."
Inglis spent much of the early part of the session talking to rookie winger Corey Oates, who has also been rooming with Inglis as he prepares to step out in Queensland colours for the first time.
The pair will provide an imposing set of figures for the Blues to contain and the physical similarities were obvious as they went through the motions on the Gold Coast. Inglis stands 195cm and weights 105kg, while Oates is 192cm and 106kg.
