Jacob Preston has already come mightily close to representing NSW and Australia, but a Blues debut is starting to gather momentum with the Bulldogs back-rower one of the leading candidates to replace Liam Martin if he\u2019s ruled out of the State of Origin opener with a knee injury.<\/p>\n
Martin left the field during Thursday night\u2019s game against Preston\u2019s Bulldogs, with reports suggesting he could miss six to eight weeks with an MCL injury.<\/p>\n
The Origin opener on May 27 is roughly six weeks away, which would mean Martin wouldn\u2019t have any footy under his belt even if he\u2019s able to return at the lower end of the scale.<\/p>\n
Losing him would be a massive blow for Blues coach Laurie Daley, given Martin has represented his state 15 times, but NSW has no shortage of options on the edge with Preston, Hudson Young and Haumole Olakau\u2019atu all in scorching form.<\/p>\n
While the others have played for the Blues, Preston is still waiting for his chance after he trained with them in Leura last year. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a massive dream of mine. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve wanted to do ever since I was a little kid,\u201d he told the NewsWire. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll I can do is take it week by week playing good football for the Bulldogs. As long as we\u2019re winning games, we\u2019ll be in contention for those spots, and a lot of other boys will be too. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo if I play good footy, then whatever happens from there, happens from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Preston, 24, has been outstanding for Canterbury ever since he made his NRL debut back in 2023.<\/p>\n
He was huge for them in their shock win over Penrith, with Preston scoring a try and setting up another with his hole-running to ice the game.<\/p>\n
Rep coaches have taken notice of his form, with Preston included in the Australian squad for last year\u2019s Ashes series. <\/p>\n
\u201cI learnt so much from that tour. It was a great experience, and I have heaps of lifelong memories I\u2019ll cherish forever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to put on those (rep) jerseys. I just took what I learnt from all the elite players I was around, implemented it into my training, and hopefully it keeps showing on the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t necessarily a single person (who really helped me). It was more so the level they train at and the accountability they hold themselves to. I think that\u2019s the two main things I took from the tour, and I\u2019m just trying to bring that back to the Bulldogs in my own training.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bulldogs legend Josh Jackson has helped him at training over the past few years given he knows what it takes to make it at the highest level, while his partnership with halfback Lachlan Galvin is also pushing him towards a Blues debut. <\/p>\n
Galvin had his best game for the club last week and seems in total sync with his back-rower. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe was outstanding,\u201d Preston said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been doing it at training, it\u2019s coming out on the field, and as long as he keeps going after it, I\u2019m sure there are going to be plenty more performances like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a pre-season to kind of work on our combinations and learn each other\u2019s little intricacies. It\u2019s only going to continue to build.<\/p>\n
Preston\u2019s form has coincided with a newfound confidence which has seen him express himself on the field more this season, with the edge forward poking his tongue out after crucial tries against Canberra and Penrith. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest, I don\u2019t even know (where it comes from) so it just kind of happens,\u201d he laughed. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t even mean to do it, so I probably should stop doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n