Creating a combined State of Origin team is challenging, prioritizing standout players while excluding legends like Thurston and Lockyer.
Shifting King Wally to lock for Brett Kenny, omitting Queensland champions Johnathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer, including Artie Beetson and naming Gus Gould as coach.
What started as a fun project - picking my greatest ever combined State of Origin side from 1980 until now - quickly became excruciating.
How do you cram 46 years of brilliance and aggressive interstate rivalry into one squad? I was reluctantly forced to disregard some of the greatest rugby league players ever.
Halfback alone prompted me to take a BEX and have a lie down. There's Thurston, Andrew Johns, Ricky Stuart, Steve Mortimer, Cooper Cronk and the one-and-only Alfie Langer.
Given his heroics in the 2005 series, I opted for Johns but overlooking Thurston for a run-on spot was difficult. Thurston played 37 Origin games and helped Queensland win 11 series.