Watching the footy and waiting for a call, Corey Horsburgh had given up on getting a State of Origin call-up and had just started to plan a trip home to Queensland.
Then the phone rang. And Billy Slater invited him up to the Gold Coast anyway - as 19th man for the Queensland Maroons.
And as Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said, he's one step closer to realising his Origin dream.