Sydney Roosters star Sam Walker and his playing stocks are continuing to rise, and could it be enough to thwart a future immortal?
At clubland, the Roosters are flying under the radar, with 10 wins and five losses to their campaign, spearheaded by Walker's development as the chief playmaking half.
They are preparing nicely for a finals raid to send a few stars in Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase off as premiership heroes in Bondi.
Meanwhile, Walker has stepped into the representative arena for the Queensland Maroons and dominated the State of Origin stage, which earned him Player of the Match honours in Game 2.
On Maroons' debut, he recorded two try assists and four goals, while in the second encounter, slotting eight from eight and controlled the tempo as all the great Origin halves have done before him.
The 24-year-old is also due for a pay-day, and remains off-contract at the end of 2027, meaning he is able to test his value on November 1 this year if the tri-colours opt not to extend him beforehand.
If Walker is able to get Maroons to victory in the deciding Game 3 at Suncorp, has he been elevated to Australian Kangaroos duties for the upcoming World Cup?
Walker stepping up and delivering for the Sunshine State could leapfrog Cleary as coach Kevin Walters' first-choice halfback for Australia.
It creates an intriguing individual battle on Wednesday night, and given Walters has publicly expressed he will remain loyal to his Ashes side from 2025, pressure is building on Cleary to take control of the Origin contest and guide the sky blue to victory.
"If you look at who has excelled in the arena at the moment, Selwyn Cobbo would have to go onto the wing for Australia. Sam Walker has lit it up at the moment. Does that mean he goes in over Nathan Cleary?" Corey Parker said on Channel 7's Agenda Setters: Rugby League.
"But if you go through some of the names that were in the Ashes last year, now we're talking loyalty over form. Kevvie's already said, he declared that Reece Walsh will be his fullback at the end of the year.
"This is the squad that was in the third Test match in England. Is Nawaqanitawase? Well, he won't be there. Kotoni Staggs, does his form warrant or is Kevvie going to be loyal to Staggs? Gehamat Shibasaki, what a fall he has had over recent weeks."
Despite loyalty running deep from the Australian selectors from last year's Ashes tour, there are expected to be many changes, given starting winger and second rower duo Nawaqanitawase and Crichton are leaving the code and Shibasaki has had a drop-off in form.
Walters will no-doubt be keeping a keen eye on the Origin decider to see who can step up and deliver on the representative stage with spots up for grabs.
"Angus Crichton won't play. Keaon Koloamatangi can't make the New South Wales side, but does Kevvie be loyal in what he did to the jersey? It's going to be fascinating because you go through some of the people that have really stood up through this Origins series," Parker added.
"Ethan Strange, Sam Walker, Jojo Fifita, Jack Bostock potentially, he's in the Origins arena now. Rob Toia, Mitch Barnett, Tom Flegler, Max Plath, Cameron Murray. So, that whole backline outside of Reece (Walsh), if what Kevvie has said stays true, could be completely different. Where do we see it?"
Another battle surfacing for the green and gold on Wednesday night is between James Tedesco and Reece Walsh, with the latter remaining the Ashes incumbent and excelling in the Australian jumper.
"James Tedesco? If he wins on Wednesday night?" Co-panellist David Riccio added.
"I'd still go with Reece Walsh. I just love what he does. He basically won us the series the back of last year," Aaron Woods responded, backing in the incumbent Aussie fullback.
Walsh has had an up-and-down 2026 campaign, but his runs on the board speak for themselves, showcased in his electric Clive Churchill Medal performance in last year's Grand Final.
"What he did in that Ashes series. That's why I was a bit surprised when he didn't make the Queensland side. I just thought from what he's done. He was the best player on the field in all three of those games over in England. So, they would have built a bond over there," former NRL star Luke Keary said.
"He's built the trust there with Kevvie, built the trust with that jersey. But the other players did a fair job themselves."
Walters simply won't be able to ignore Walker's form if he continues his Maroons dominance and wins the Wally Lewis Medal (series MVP) in front of the boisterous Suncorp Stadium crowd on Wednesday.
It will be a telling battle over who claims the code's biggest honour, donning their country's colours on the World Cup stage.
"Just quickly, what if Sam Walker wins Man of the Series? Riccio asked.
"If Sam can win the Wally Lewis medal and go on to potentially take the Roosters to the grand final and win it, his name has to be, it has to be there in that Australian team and squad."
NSW has clearly been shaky during the Origin series, and it took a miracle from Tedesco in Game 1 to seal victory, but have been on the back foot since then, and copped a 44-24 shellacking in Melbourne for the second fixture.
The Blues will make the formidable road trip to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 8 for the Origin decider, while the World Cup commences on October 15 between Australia and New Zealand.
