Blues set their sights on Maroons young gun

Angus Crichton says he is proud of his Roosters teammate Robert Toia but insists that admiration will be set aside when the Blues face Queensland in the State of Origin opener.

The veteran second-rower confirmed he and Latrell Mitchell will be targeting the 20-year-old debutant in what shapes as a brutal welcome to rugby league's fiercest stage.

“Me and Latrell will be going after him, for sure,” Crichton said at an Origin media event.

“That's the game we play and as much as I love him and respect him, he knows that I'll be coming for him.”

Toia's selection has raised eyebrows not for a lack of talent but for its timing.

With only ten NRL games under his belt, he becomes the Maroons' most inexperienced debutant since Ben Ikin in 1995.

Those around him believe he is ready.

Crichton praised his resilience and work ethic, pointing to two ACL injuries the centre has overcome already in his short career.

“He's just a really good young kid,” Crichton said.

“Coming back from that showed a lot of resilience. I texted him straight away when I heard the whispers. He's only 20 years old and starting in the centres for Queensland. That's huge.”

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Crichton's left-edge combination with Latrell Mitchell looms as a key attacking weapon for NSW. The pair will pose a serious test for Toia, whose early career has been defined by speed and strength but will now be scrutinised under the brightest lights.

“Latrell has just got that confidence and a bit of swagger about him. He wants the ball, wants to score, wants to win,” Crichton said.

“He is a beast. You can't coach what he's got and I can't wait to line up with him again."

NSW utility and fellow Roosters teammate Connor Watson also spoke glowingly of Toia, crediting the young centre's commitment to improving his defence as a major reason for his rapid rise.

“We would do edge-on-edge or 13 v 13 stuff and he's setting up tries and scoring tries from when he was 17 or 18 against the first grade team,” Watson said.

Watson revealed that early conversations between Toia and coach Trent Robinson centred around defensive accountability, and that focus has since translated into on-field consistency.

“To be only 10 games in and to be playing Origin, it's pretty unreal,” Watson said.

“But he's earned it. He's been awesome for us this year.”