St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett has endorsed veteran winger Wendell Sailor's claims for a place in the Queensland State of Origin team.
With Queensland coach Mal Meninga a keen observer during Dragons training at WIN Jubilee Oval yesterday, Bennett declared Sailor had a genuine chance to play for the Maroons following his impressive recent form.
Sailor, 34, last played for Queensland in 2001 before switching to rugby union.
Full coverage of The St George Illawarra DragonsIn his second season back in the NRL, Sailor has been among the Dragons' best in the past two weeks and Bennett said the dual international's age should not be a factor at the selection table.
"Wendell would have to come into the mix," Bennett said.
"If you want to win a State of Origin series you're not worried about somebody's age. You just worry about getting the best players on the field so I'm sure that's how he'd (Meninga) be feeling and that he'd be looking for the best players.
"Wendell is in some good form so he'd be a chance."
Meninga was at the Dragons' final session before today's clash with Newcastle at Kogarah, casting an eye over St George Illawarra's leading Queenslanders Sailor and Darius Boyd.
"He's here looking for Queenslanders," Bennett said.
"And we're great friends, of course, a great player for me and the teams he played for so we have a long relationship."
With the Dragons on top of the NRL ladder after five rounds, Bennett admitted he was concerned about the impact representative duties might have on his squad.
While Sailor and Boyd are firmly in the mix for Queensland, props Justin Poore and Michael Weyman, as well as centre Matt Cooper and second-rower Ben Creagh are on the short-list for NSW.
Added to that is the Australia-New Zealand Test to be played in Brisbane on May 8, the same night at City-Country at Orange.
Bennett, who has coached Queensland, Australia and was assistant for New Zealand at last year's World Cup, said he was concerned about the impact the representative schedule would have on the Dragons.
"That's one of my upcoming fears at the moment," he said.
"We've got a City-Country game and then we've got to be in Townsville the following night and we've got a Test match as well.
"(Kiwis) Jeremy Smith and Jason Nightingale will be close to that as well but City-Country - I don't know how many we'll lose."
The Dragons play North Queensland at Townsville the night after the City-Country clash.
"The problem for us is you've got to get them out of Orange to Townsville and you've got to play the following night," he said.
"The league will do what they can, but it's a pretty tough 24 hours for the players."
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