Blues jersey beckons for Graham after another breakout performance

Another eye-catching performance from South Sydney centre Campbell Graham, which included a game-changing hat-trick, has him firmly in the frame to make his State of Origin debut this year.

Graham was amongst everything for the Rabbitohs as they became just the second team this year to beat the Broncos, also setting up a try, making a line break and six tackle breaks to add to his four-pointers in a performance his coach and captain said would put his name up in lights for New South Wales selectors.

“(He is ticking all the boxes), he has done for a couple of years, he’s doing what he needs to do to put himself in the frame for rep honours,” Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou said.

“Cam’s spoken about him before, I have mentioned it, we just love having him as part of our club and what he brings to our footy team, so we will see what happens when they pick the team.”

His captain Cameron Murray also said he would “back him in there” if selected, saying he was a teammate he loved playing alongside.

“I think he’s playing good footy,” Murray said in the post-match press conference.

“He’s one of those teammates that you just love running out next to and you trust him every time he is there and he’s just always a good teammate.

“He’s one of those people you want to play for and one of those teammates you never want to let down.

“I love playing with Stretch.

“Of course I would back him in there. I have been saying it for a while, he’s earnt it, obviously off the back of what he’s done at the World Cup and his form this season, this year, he’s doing everything right so, I guess it is up to the selectors.”

As for Campbell – who had a breakout representative campaign with the Australian Kangaroos at the Rugby League World Cup – the talk around potential Origin selection was “background noise”, but did say his most recent representative selected had helped him develop as a player.

“Obviously there's a bit of background noise at the moment about all that sort of thing, but honestly just trying to keep it as background noise,” Graham said in the winning sheds.

“I know those opportunities will come if I just play good footy for Souths, so that's where my focus is still.

“That experience [Rugby League World Cup] was great for me, and my development.

"In saying that, it's just a result of the coaching I'm getting here at Souths and the game plans that they're infiltrating and the attacking shapes.

“I don't get these opportunities without the boys around me setting them up, so obviously I've been lucky enough to cross for a few tries, but it's off the back of the boys running that great shape.

"(But) I think I go into every game with a defensive mindset and my tackles come off the back of that.

"I think it's something that I can build my game around is my defence."