North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater has his sights set on a NSW jersey which adds an extra dimension to his Saturday night showdown in Townsville with Newcastle custodian Kalyn Ponga.
Ponga, who won the Dally M Medal last season, has represented Queensland with distinction in the State of Origin arena but stepped down from last year’s series to focus on club football after returning from multiple concussions.
"He is a freak," Drinkwater said of Ponga.
"When he gets the ball he is fast and strong … his ball playing is silky-as. Kalyn is a Dally M winner so it is a good battle."
Drinkwater was magnificent in the 43-18 win over the Dolphins in round one. Last year he had his best season yet with 25 try assists, 14 line breaks and 11 tries to win the Paul Bowman Medal as the Cowboys' player of the year.
The 26-year-old was 18th man in game three of last year’s Origin series. James Tedesco is the incumbent Blues captain and fullback. He has already started the season on fire for the Sydney Roosters and the jersey will be his for as long as he stays in form and wants to keep playing representative football.
Drinkwater is also versatile and can play in the halves so he offers a utility dimension if NSW choose to go down that path.
"I'd love to wear the Blues jersey. It is all I dreamed about as a kid and a goal of mine this year," Drinkwater said.
"(Origin) is about 12 weeks away so it is all about each game going out there and being consistently good. Just doing the little efforts and hopefully the big things come off.”
Cowboys coach Todd Payten has given Drinkwater a licence to thrill and said he had found the right balance.
"Scott understands how influential he is on the group," Payten said.
"I think he has gotten better over time with maturity around when to go for the big play and when to keep his powder dry.
"He is talking in meetings and leading from the back. Things look good so long as he continues in that vein."
Like all class acts, Drinkwater is not satisfied with what he has achieved.
"There is always room for more improvement. I am looking at having higher involvements.
"There were a few games last year where I could have had more but I will run first, rather than ball-play first. If I run first that other (creative) stuff will happen.
"I will always back what I see but be smarter at my decisions. Toddy is always into me about that."
Drinkwater said the Knights would be "fired up" after a first-round loss to Canberra.
As for Ponga, Drinkwater wants to send him home with another defeat and keep him at arm's length.
"We don’t see each other too much on the field because we are both at the back," Drinkwater said.
"Hopefully he doesn’t make a line break because he will snap my ankles. He's got a good step on him. He is their danger man."
