Jackson Ford says he can't argue with his omission from the State of Origin series opener, insisting the snub has only made him hungrier for a NSW debut.
Warriors prop Ford has been unstoppable to begin 2026 and trails only Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary on the Dally M leaderboard after 11 rounds.
Among forwards, the 28-year-old leads the league for average run metres this season and is in the top three for average post-contact metres.
Ahead of last week's team selection, NSW hierarchy told Ford to pack extra bags in case he needed to fly straight from Magic Round into Blues camp.
Payne Haas' knee injury positioned Ford as a like-for-like replacement in the front row for his work rate and ability to play extended minutes in the middle.
