He’s the latest Blues baby who planned to be changing nappies on Sunday.
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Instead Cronulla prop Matt Prior will be preparing for a new experience of another kind after being a shock call-up to the NSW squad for State of Origin II.
‘‘I’d only just recently had my first child so I didn’t really have any plans, to be honest. I was just going to spend some time with my partner and my little girl Indie,’’ Prior said. Despite his sudden change of plans, Prior has declared himself ready to help NSW wrap up the Origin series if called upon to make his debut.
The 31-year-old is in a two-way fight with Gold Coast forward Ryan James to replace injured front-rower Reagan Campbell-Gillard, who broke his jaw playing for Penrith on Friday.
If he is selected, it’s a remarkable exclamation point on an extraordinarily successful career.
A Thirroul junior, Prior made his NRL debut in 2008, where he was used as a centre, with footwork and versatility off the bench.
But he made his career in the front row, where he an interchange player in the fairytale 2010 St George Illawarra premiership player under coach Wayne Bennett.
Then, pushed out at the Dragons, joining Cronulla in 2013, when his NRL future had seemed in doubt.
And so Prior bounced back with Cronulla, starting in the Sharks drought-breaking 2016 title and now has the chance to be part of NSW dominance on Sunday.