Now Boyd Cordner has been appointed the 19^th NSW State of Origin captain. Cordner, 24, who now plays in the back row with the Sydney Roosters, will lead the Blues into game one at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday May 31 as NSW looks to break Queensland’s stranglehold on the series. His dad, Chris, will be in the stands as will his elder brother, Dane, who now lives in Newcastle.

Chris – better known by the family nickname of ‘Spud’ – smiles when he recalls Boyd’s first foray into the game.

“Noddy Andrews was the coach of the sixes – he had a couple of kids playing. Dane was playing as well and we’d use Boyd when we were short,’’ he said.

“Even then he loved it – loved getting his football clobber on; he just loved the game.’’

Chris believes Boyd’s time at Taree’s St Joseph’s Primary School played a significant role in his development.

“It was a football school. Nick Walker was the principal and league coach and he’d take the teams to schoolboy carnivals all around the State. That’s when Boyd first started to get noticed and started making rep teams,’’ he explained.

When he was in year six Boyd made three NSW primary school teams – rugby league, rugby union and touch.

“He first met James Tedesco in that State touch team,’’ Chris said.

Tedesco has been named fullback for NSW and will join Cordner at the Roosters next year.

Chris was given early notice about Boyd’s selection as captain.

“He rang me as soon as Laurie Daley let him know,’’ Chris said.

“That was before the team was announced, so I had to keep it quiet. I said to him, ‘well done mate, you deserve it.’ ’’

Chris said it will be a ‘proud moment’ when he watches his son lead the Blues onto the field. He also thinks NSW has the side to end Queensland’s domination.

Boyd is the second Manning product to captain NSW, following Danny Buderus, who led the Blues in 15 of his 21 appearances from 2002 to 2008.