NSW great Danny Buderus has backed another Manning Valley rugby league product, Boyd Cordner, to take over as Blues captain in this season’s State of Origin series.
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"I'm glad for Boyd Cordner for being named co-captain at the Roosters. I'd like to see someone like that (lead NSW)," Buderus, who captained NSW on 15 occasions, said.
"I know the Blues have got a young group coming through with the Trbojevic boys, Tyson Frizell and Josh Jackson – there are a number of guys there who have got a lot of years in them in the Origin arena.
"I'm sure Laurie (Daley) has thought about it long and hard and he'll make the right decision, but for mine, Boyd Cordner has been a really good, strong player for a long time."
Cordner, a hard running second rower, has played six matches for NSW and was named the Blues’ best player in the opening match in 2016 before injury ruled him out for the remainder of the series.
He is co-captain of the Sydney Roosters this year with hooker Jake Friend.
Cordner said simply making the NSW side would be an honour itself, with the prospect of leading the side an exciting bonus.
"It's pretty humbling, to tell you the truth," he told NRL.COM this week.
"As a kid, or even now, you dream of playing State of Origin. But to be thrown up to be captain – especially with some of the past players also throwing up your name – you don't really know how to feel. I suppose it's pretty exciting.
"It's only round two so I'm not going to get too far ahead [of myself]. I'm just happy being selected and pulling on that sky blue jersey. That's a dream come true in itself.
"Obviously I've got to be playing good footy myself. That's what motivates me at the start of the year, and then when it comes closer to Origin, it becomes a bit clearer and you want to strive to play in that NSW team."
The decision to promote Cordner to the co-captaincy role at club level has paid immediate dividends with the Tricolours unbeaten after two rounds.
Cordner praised his fellow co-captain Jake Friend for helping him adjust to the new position, and also thanked several other club captains for teaching him new things while on the Four Nations tour at the end of 2016.
"It's been really good, to tell you the truth," Cordner said of his new role.
"It hasn't changed the way that I play or the way I go about my business at training or when I'm playing, it's just the extra responsibility of talking to the ref and making those pressure calls. It's good having Jake there to help me with that as well.
"With players like Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and the likes (on tour), it's good to see how they go about their business. They've been there and done all of it before so it would be silly not to take it in and sponge a bit off them."