Round 12 will signal the final game of the "pre-Origin" stage of 2023 NRL season.

With the teams set to be selected on Sunday and Monday, this weekend's round of footy will provide Origin hopefuls with their last chance to audition.

Don't think for a second that Billy Slater and Brad Fittler don't have their top 17s ready to go, but there's always the chance that questions still remain.

Four questions to be somewhat exact. The below four questions.

3. Do the Maroons move away from what has worked for so long?

Dane Gagai is an Origin legend. "Origin Gagai" has become a meme, such are the levels of his Origin performance no matter what his club form at the time.

There are genuine talks that Gagai may be shifted to the wing or even potentially left out of the Origin 1 squad altogether for the men from north of the Tweed.

Ok he hasn't been great for Newcastle but I'd argue he was playing far worse for the Knights when selected in the 2015-2017 era. He went on to win games for his state.

Queensland very famously "stick and pick". It has worked for the large majority of the past decade-plus.

So why move away from that plan now?

Is there a QLD centre screaming the house down to be picked? You'd have to make a pretty loud case to displace Dane Gagai.

Kurt Capewell's spot is also supposedly up in the air. This despite him winning games for his state, sometimes even out of position.

Obviously the form of David Fifita and Felise Kaufusi will have a bit to say here, but do you move off one of QLD's best in recent years?

Does Slater opt for new blood in the form or Reece Walsh or does he go back to a certain head gear wearing fullback coming off his best game of the season?

Ponga did the job last time he was picked ... and also the time for before that ... aaand the time before that too.