Hammer time? Young helps speedster handle Origin talk

Cowboys stand-in coach Dean Young has backed Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow for Queensland selection and revealed he has spoken to the teen star about his personal experiences when in Origin contention.

With Queensland having already lost the series, Maroons selectors are considering blooding players for the future and will be watching Tabuai-Fidow’s performance against Newcastle on Sunday.

Tabuai-Fidow played centre for the Queensland Schoolboys and Under 18s Origin teams in 2019 and is considered one of the fastest players in the NRL, clocking 37.3 kph last month against the Warriors.

The Maroons have struggled to contain NSW centres Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell in the first two Origins and may look to fast-track the 19-year-old into the team for the final match on July 14.

"He has certainly got plenty of ability, the sky is the limit for Hammer," said Young, who will take charge of North Queensland for the trip to Newcastle after Todd Payten was forced to isolate for 14 days as he is considered a close contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19.

"He has had a bit of a stop-start year [with injuries] but we have got big things in mind for Hammer. I think he can be a real difference for us.

"He has got plenty of speed and he is a really good defender when he applies himself, so he is up for the challenge this weekend."

However, Young knows what it is like to play with a possible Origin jersey on the line after being under consideration for the NSW team in 2009 and 2010 as he helped St George Illawarra to back-to-back minor premierships.

Young said the pressure got to him and he had to wait until 2011 for his sole Origin appearance as NSW hooker in the series opener under Ricky Stuart.

"I actually spoke to him about that the other day," he said. "I went through a similar situation once where I was there or about for Origin.

"I let it get inside my head and I went out and actually played really poorly before the team was selected so I spoke to him about my experience with that and said that he can’t control whether he gets picked or not, all he can do is control his performance.

"He can go out and have a blinder on the weekend and they don’t go with him, they go in a different direction."

Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga will be another player under close scrutiny from Queensland selectors after being ruled out of Origin I with a groin injury that sidelined him for six weeks.

If Ponga gets through the match unscathed he is expected to be rushed into the Maroons No.1 jersey, with Cowboys fullback Valentine Holmes shifting to the wing.

Young said the Cowboys were wary of Ponga and the fact that the Knights would they would have their strongest spine combination of the former Cowboys star, halfback Mitchell Pearce, five-eighth Jake Clifford and hooker Jayden Brailey on the field together for the first time.

Clifford played for North Queensland against Newcastle in round 11 and changed clubs two weeks later.

"Ponga has been out for a while, but he is a quality player and I think Newcastle would be pretty excited about having the spine that they want," Young said.

"They have been all over the shop all year with injuries and chopping and changing which they have had to do but they have finally got Brailey at No.9, Pearce and Clifford in the halves and Kalyn back."