Keaon Koloamatangi is being floated as a potential Origin bolter for Game 2.
The forward played one game for NSW in 2023, but has missed out on selection since.
However, an impressive run of form with the Rabbitohs has put him right back into the conversation.
Koloamatangi has shifted to prop for the past three games, notably running for over 200 metres in all of them.
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In Round 11 against the Tigers, he recorded a staggering 155 post-contact metres.
He has also gotten through a mountain of work defensively in recent weeks, averaging 42 tackles a match across his last three appearances.
South Sydney teammate Jai Arrow was full of praise for the 27-year-old after their narrow loss to the Warriors on Sunday.
"Keaon deserves to be picked," he said during the post-match press conference.
"Everyone has seen over the past three weeks what he's done, pretty tremendous effort with his numbers. If I were a selector, I'd be thinking fairly strongly about Keaon for sure.
"He's probably one of, if not the best, NSW middle at the moment."
Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett noted Koloamatangi's endurance, comparing him to Brisbane star Payne Haas.
"Keaon's numbers are great, that's the point," he said.
"He's playing the full 80 minutes, he's not even looking to come off the field. That's the remarkable thing about the middle forwards these days, they do all that workload.
"Payne Haas is really good at it, too, but this guy is in that league."
Chatter around a potential Origin call-up for Koloamatangi comes amid an injury to Mitchell Barnett.
The Blues prop is feared to have suffered an ACL injury at the weekend.
Max King is a candidate to move from the bench into the likely vacant starting spot, while Stefano Utoikamanu and the snubbed Terrell May will also be in the frame.