Warriors workhorse and current Dally M leading forward Jackson Ford continues to enter NSW State of Origin conversations off the back of some amazing gritty performances – even if the phone call he's dreaming of hasn't come just yet.

In the midst of some career-best form, Ford jokingly told Zero Tackle he hasn't received a call from NSW coach Laurie Daley, though the dream of pulling on the Sky Blues jumper remains a very real one for the Warriors ironman.

“That's a massive dream of mine to play for NSW Blues,” Ford said.

"Right now I'm just trying to play good footy, and I'll keep focusing on putting in each week here at the Warriors, [and then] hopefully.”

Ford's rise has been one of the Warriors' most compelling storylines this year: big minutes, averaging well over 150 running metres per game, relentless defensive work, and a knack for lifting when his side needs it most.

He's gone from dependable to indispensable, and Saturday's win over the Dolphins was another clear example yet of just how far he's pushed his game.

In a bruising contest at Hnry Stadium, Ford racked up 206 running metres, 78 post‑contact metres, and made 57 tackles, numbers that would be impressive for any forward.

And then there's the kick: he played the full 80 minutes. In modern-day NRL, where middle forwards are rotated like clockwork, an 80‑minute stint is almost unheard of. It's these kinds of shifts from Ford that has teammates Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad understandably nicknaming him: ‘4X4'.

Normally stationed on the edge, Ford has been thrust into a far bigger role in 2026, partnering James Fisher‑Harris in the front row. While he has filled the role previously, the move to start Ford was born out of co‑captain Mitch Barnett sidelined by a long‑term injury that wiped out the opening stretch of his season. But Ford hasn't just filled the gap; he's made the role his own.

In Barnett's absence, Ford has quietly become one of the Warriors' most reliable middle forwards, turning what was meant to be a temporary fix into a genuine selection dilemma for head coach Andrew Webster.

So much so that since Barnett's recent return, the skipper has been eased back via the bench – a testament to how Ford has made the role his own.

The irony is that Barnett himself is expected to be in the mix for a New South Wales front‑row jersey when Origin rolls around.

Ford's consistency has pushed him to the top of the Dally M leaderboard and placed him firmly among the NRL's elite forwards in 2026 – the kind of form that has people talking about him and usually forces selectors to take notice.

But while Ford's numbers keep climbing — and the calls for him to be considered for New South Wales grow louder each week, especially with Payne Haas out with injury – he's not interested in framing his rise as an individual surge.

In his view, it's less about him “playing well” and far more about how the Warriors have been operating as a collective. Ford has been quick to credit the cohesion, trust, and consistency within the squad, insisting that his own form is simply a reflection of a team that's moving in the same direction.

"I'm playing off the boys right now,” he said.

“It feels like we're all thriving as a team. There's not really anyone who's having a bad season, so we're just bouncing back off each other and I'm just getting off the back of everyone too."

One thing for sure, if Ford keeps producing numbers like he has been, the conversation around his ceiling – club level, representative level, all of it – is only going to get louder.

Yet for now, Ford remains grounded, focused on his club duties, and quietly hopeful.

Origin may not have called yet, but the way he's playing, it feels less like a dream and more like an inevitability waiting for its moment.