Titans forward Jarrod Wallace has been called into the Maroons squad, replacing Johnathan Thurston as 18th man after the brilliant playmaker was ruled out due to injury.
"It was a cool feeling," Wallace said of meeting Origin idols such as Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk when he joined the Maroons camp today (Friday).
"It's a great experience for me and I'm just cherishing every moment.
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The former Bronco is now a step closer to the run-on side after coach Kevin Walters phoned with the great news.
"When Kevvie called me it was an exciting phone call for me and my family," said Wallace, who also played for the Norths Devils in Brisbane.
"It's a long (Origin) series and there's always another game."
Fellow Titans Jarred Hayne and Nathan Peats were picked for the NSW side.
"(Peats) texted me once he heard I was coming into camp and said, 'I hope you play because I'm going to come in and whack ya' and things like that. A bit of banter, which was really good," an amused Wallace said.
Current champions the Maroons take on the Blues in Game I of Origin at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night (May 31).
