New Zealand international Briton Nikora says Queensland gave his family "a better life" as he prepares to wear the Maroons jersey for the first time.
New eligibility rules allow the 28-year-old, who has played 16 Tests for the Kiwis, to line up in State of Origin due to his early years as a Gold Coast junior.
Former Maroons star Tonie Carroll, who famously represented New Zealand and Australia, is an anomaly in that he played for the Maroons in 1998 before being selected for the Kiwis.
Cronulla second-rower Nikora will come off the bench against NSW in the Origin series opener on May 27 in Sydney.
In the Origin context, the fact Nikora feels like a Maroon makes perfect sense after he played his junior footy at Parkwood Sharks on the Gold Coast and attended rugby league powerhouse Keebra Park High.
