The dream of playing at the iconic MCG like his childhood hero Buddy Franklin was front and centre for Queensland centre Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow when he was a youth.
He will get to fulfil that aspiration in State of Origin on Wednesday night as a Maroons superstar.
It was AFL legend Franklin, who reigned supreme at the MCG, who Tabuai-Fidow wanted to emulate when he was a member of the Gold Coast Suns academy, before he pledged his allegiance to rugby league.
“It's a famous stadium within the AFL sport," Tabuai-Fidow said of the MCG.
“Growing up as a kid, just playing at those big stadiums would have been pretty cool.
“Buddy Franklin was my AFL idol, just the stuff that he did during the game.
“He was a big body and just those goals and those marks that he did take were pretty special. Just watching him growing up was pretty special.
“I'm excited I get to play rugby league at that stadium."
Tabuai-Fidow, with eight tries in his five Origin games, is fresh from a hat-trick against NSW in the 38-10 win in game one in Sydney.
He has scored at least one try in each Origin game he has played, and says he has more up his sleeve.
“Yeah, I think I do," he said.
“I love scoring tries and just getting over the line for the boys.
“Hopefully this game I can get at least one again."
Tabuai-Fidow, 22, has never scored four tries in a game. One of his other heroes, former Brisbane and Queensland centre Steve Renouf, achieved the feat five times in club footy, and the young flyer wants to follow suit.
“I haven't scored four yet," he said.
“I'm just waiting for that day that I do get lucky and get over the line four times.
“I've seen bits and pieces of (Renouf) and he's done a lot in the game and the type of player he was, it was pretty special."
"Special" is how Tabuai-Fidow describes his 98-metre try against Cronulla in the Dolphins' 30-28 win last week, when he beat half the Sharks team to score a cracker while playing fullback.
“I've had a lot of people come up to me and it's all over social media too, so I can't really get away from it," he grinned.
“It was a pretty special try for me. It was top two or three for me scoring that try the other week. It was pretty cool.
“My favourite one would probably be against Penrith.
“I played for the Cowboys at Penrith in 2020 and I sort of did a similar thing, but it wasn't as far (out) as that one, so that one sticks with me as my number one. It was pretty early in my career."
