IT'S exacerbated an already crippling player drain but Dragons coach Paul McGregor says Corey Norman's maiden Queensland jumper is thoroughly deserved.
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Long tipped to feature in the arena since debuting with Brisbane as a teenager, Norman's career has suffered numerous false starts as a result of on and off-field issues.
His shift to the Dragons this season came in similar circumstances after he fell out of favour with Eels coach Brad Arthur over the off-season.
He's been the shining light in an otherwise tough campaign for the Dragons and - having been called into camp ahead of Origin II - was the logical choice for Kevin Walters after a series-ending injury to Kayln Ponga.
It will pitch him straight into a decider but McGregor said his famously self-assured five-eighth is more than ready at 28 years of age.
"As an individual on the journey he's been on it's a great reward," McGregor said.
"It obviously hurts us a bit at the moment as a club because both our halves, and Gareth [Widdop] as well, are missing but it's a really good accomplishment for Corey.
"Coming to a new club and knuckling down, missing that month of footy but coming back to display enough to get into Origin is a really good story."
It leaves McGregor without three star halves for Thursday's clash with Melbourne as Widdop edges only slightly closer to a return from a dislocated shoulder.
It sees the chalk and cheese pairing of Darren Nicholls and Jai Field get a start in the halves, a pairing that boasts just 12 NRL appearances.
Eleven of them belong to Field but McGregor says he's excited by what the pair - who've formed a solid combination in the Canterbury Cup - can produce.
"We're playing at home and it's a good opportunity for the players there to put it on the line," McGregor said.
"Dessie [Nicholls] played that game down in Melbourne last year and he's experienced at a lot of different levels of footy so he's really keen to get another opportunity.
"Jai had a month of footy there when Normy was out injured so he should be well acclimatised to the rigours of the NRL now.
"They're obviously up against a very good football team that's six points clear on the [top of] the ladder, so we're going to have to do a lot of things right, but they've been waiting for this opportunity."
McGregor will also have a forward pack as green as any he's coached in his time at the club, with Paul Vaughan, Tyson Frizell, Tariq Sims, James Graham and Jack de Belin all missing for various reasons.
Having challenged his younger crop to step up in recent weeks, McGregor said he's looking forward to a response on Thursday.
"It's a good chance to know as a player where you stand in these type of situations," he said.
"These guys have played 30-plus first grade games and their experienced enough at this time of the year to be a dominant player not just a player in the 17."