Like every Queensland rugby league fan, Beau Fermor loves this time of year and cannot wait for the State of Origin series to begin.
However, unlike most other armchair fans who settle in on the sofa with family and friends to cheer on the Queensland Maroons, the Gold Coast Titans forward has a solid goal to work hard and be part of the on-field action as part of the team and has spoken openly about his desire to one day feature in the Origin arena.
“Obviously, (my goal this season is) to go deep into the finals with the Titans and have a really strong end to the year,” Fermor said.
“We haven't started that crash hot, but hopefully, I want to try and get into the Origin team or the Origin camp at least to get a bit of experience there. See how I go.
“Just to be in the camp with the calibre of players who play Origin would be a dream come true.
“Being a Queensland kid, it's something that kids in Queensland always dream of being able to do one day. Hopefully, I can keep playing well and put myself in the position where that dream becomes a reality.
“Obviously, we would've liked a few more wins as a team, but I've been pretty happy with my own form.
“It has been consistent, which is probably something I needed to work on. Hopefully, I can continue that for the rest of the year.”
This weekend, the side will come up against an in-form Brisbane Broncos side in their Round 11 Indigenous Round match, which falls during National Reconciliation Week.
National Reconciliation Week, which runs from May 27 until June 3, "is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia".
The Dalby Devils junior has been named in the second row for the derby match against the Broncos and is hoping the combination he has been building this season with five-eighth AJ Brimson will pay dividends.
“We've built a really good combination on the left edge together this year. I enjoyed having him back at six,” Fermor said.
“Being able to run off him and defend with him, I think we've got a really nice combination there.
“Obviously, we had a few losses in a row, but had a good win (against the St George Illawarra Dragons).
“It gives you a shot of confidence in the arm, which is probably what we needed. So hopefully we can back that up again.
“(But we have to work on) our consistency through the 80 minutes... we kind of play well in patches and fall asleep in patches, so when we play really good, we can challenge anyone.
“We've just got to stop having those lapses in games.”
The Gold Coast Titans will come up against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium this Friday night.
The Maroons side will be announced next week.
