Titans TV caught up with prop forward Jarrod Wallace in Queensland camp ahead of his State of Origin debut this evening.
Wallace received both exciting and devastating news just over a week ago when all his dream were realised with a single phone call from Coach Kevin Walters, only to then have that dampened by a Grade 1 charge, from the NRL judiciary.
The 25-year-old, along with the Queensland Rugby League and the Titans, chose to fight the charge and Wallace was over the moon when the judiciary panel saw it exactly how he saw it.
“I got the news that I was in and then soon after I found out about the charge,” Wallace said. “It was upsetting and it definitely rattled me a bit.
“It’s great they saw it the way that I did and I was free to play.”
In his many media interviews leading into the crucial clash, Wallace has expressed what it will mean to him tonight when he pulls that maroon jersey on for the first time.
“It’s a vision I’ve had since I was a little kid. I used to sit there on those Wednesday nights and watch my favourite players go around and words can’t describe how I feel.”
With the series on the line, the father of two would have thought that heading into camp would’ve been a highly stressful experience with four debutants, players returning from injury, talk of an ageing side, they could be excused for thinking it was over before it started.
“It’s actually been a relaxed week, surprisingly. Everyone has been extremely focused but are able to switch off as well. You’d think those experienced guys would be so full on but they’ve made the whole week enjoyable, so hopefully we take that down to Sydney and get the job done.”
