The Queensland Maroons will go for a fourth series win in five years on Wednesday evening, but the ever brutal demands of State of Origin mean the player pathways is always going to be explored beyond the current side.
The Queensland side also have some players at the back-end of their Origin careers.
Kurt Capewell could be in his swansong series, Cameron Munster, joking as he may have been after Game 2, indicated he knows his time is closer to the end than the start, and even then, Billy Slater has made it clear during his time coaching he has no hesitation making an enormous call if he thinks it needs to be made.
Queensland do have some excellent young talent on the way through, and others who could well have made an argument to play this year.
Here are the most likely players to debut next year for the Maroons.
3. Ezra Mam (Brisbane Broncos)
Mam is yet to make his Origin debut despite being included on the extended bench for Game 1.
His form this year has been average to say the least though, and once Michael Maguire dropped him to reserve grade, Billy Slater followed suit and left him out of the team for Game 2, and now Game 3.
Mam has all the talent in the world, and while an off-field distraction has hampered him, his performance in last year's grand final was tremendous off the bench, and proves he has what it takes to do uncomfortable or unfamiliar roles to him during the biggest games of the year.
Origin is one of those, and even if it's not next year given Queensland's long list of elite halves at the moment, he will play Origin one day.
