NSW assistant coach Matt King has been pleasantly surprised by Ethan Strange’s demeanour in the buildup to tonight’s State of Origin opener.
The Blues rookie has been thrust into the spotlight and the No.6 jersey after Mitchell Moses suffered an injury at training.
“Ethan has surprised me,” King said on Wednesday.
“I’ve never worked with him before. I know his dad (John) really well from the Roosters, his sister’s (Jasmin) at the Roosters too, and it surprised me just how calm and collected he is.
“He was obviously disappointed for Mitch like we all were, but really clear on his role and his responsibilities. We didn’t put Ethan in the squad to make up the numbers.
“We trusted him and knew that if something happened there that he was the next man up and that’s what’s happened. So really looking forward to him getting his opportunity and we trust him.”
Strange, 21, has been a standout with the Canberra Raiders and has earned comparisons to NSW coach and former five-eighth star Laurie Daley.
“State of Origin doesn’t allow you to be too relaxed,” King said.
“Of course you want to be as relaxed as possible and treat it like any other game, but it’s not really like that. State of Origin is a full beast.”