Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett says Darius Boyd should be Queensland Maroons fullback for this year's Holden State of Origin series.
Bennett's thoughts came after the Broncos defeated the Gold Coast Titans 24-16 in what was another consistent performance from Boyd.
Boyd had a great night, with the highlight coming in the 43rd minute when the 28-year-old set up Brisbane's third try with a brilliant cut-out pass that found Jordan Kahu in the corner.
It's been a stellar Telstra Premiership season so far for Boyd, and the Australian international would not look out of place in Queensland's fullback jersey, which has become vacant after Billy Slater injured his shoulder in Round 2 – ruling him out for the season.
After another man of the match performance, Bennett says Boyd must be named at fullback when Kevin Walters picks his side for Game 1.
"Of course I think he should be considered. He should have played fullback for Queensland in previous years," Bennett said.
"When previous chances came up he should have played fullback. I think Queensland are best when Greg Inglis is in the centres and Boyd is at fullback.
"They keep winning with Inglis at fullback and Boyd on the wing so I just have to live with that."
It would be a bold move for Walters to name Boyd at fullback, with Inglis having done the job for Queensland at the back on many occasions - most recently being in Queensland's 52-6 win in Game 3 of 2015.
It's Boyd's work off the ball that has most notably improved in 2016, with the custodian often slotting into Brisbane's defensive line for the first four tackles of every set, only dropping back to fullback on the threat of a kick.
His captain, Corey Parker, says it's the little things like this that set Boyd apart from his peers.
"I've played a lot of football with Darius and he's the ultimate professional," Parker said.
"He does so much work off the ball and that goes unnoticed by a lot of people, but certainly from our point of view, we notice it and it's really good.
"Whether it's in defence or attack, he has this ability to martial the troops and direct them around the park.
"He puts players in positions they need to be in, even before the player thinks they need to be there. Billy Slater and the best fullbacks all have that same ability."
