WITH Gavin Cooper set to make his Origin debut we look at the best 11 players who never got a shot at one of rugby league’s toughest arenas.

Alan Tongue

The workhorse Canberra lock seemed tailor made for Origin. A tackling machine who could cover dummy half if need be and had great skills, footwork and unrivalled tenacity, Tongue would have played in several series had he been born north of the border or played for a club in Sydney. One appearance for Country was as close as he got.

media_camera Alan Tongue was built for Origin.

Craig Coleman

Coleman holds a unique place in history — his 266 games are the most by any player who never played a rep game. The rugged Souths halfback couldn’t even crack City Origin during 10 years with the Rabbitohs from 1982 to 1992. Despite leading Souths to four finals series and the minor premiership in 1989, Coleman never got a shot at Origin football.

LIVE: Coverage from Blues camp

ATTACK: Daley to unleash young guns

Nathan Blacklock

One of the greatest try scorers the game has ever known, Blacklock is the only player to lead the try scoring lists three years in a row (which he did from 1999 to 2001) and in the final year of that incredible run he scored 27 tries in 28 games, the equal most by any player in a single season since 1951. Despite these incredible attacking feats, Blacklock was never picked for New South Wales. He played in two Tests on the 2001 Kangaroo Tour, making him one of a select few who played Test football but never represented their state.

media_camera Campbell is one of the few Dally M winners not to play Origin.

Preston Campbell

Campbell burst from nowhere in 2001 playing wing, fullback and finally halfback for the Sharks and winning the Dally M medal. With just 52 first grade games under his belt at the time, the fleet-footed Campbell seemed certain for a glittering rep career but never got his chance despite seeming like a natural choice as a bench utility at the very least. Despite further joy in later stints at the Panthers (where he won a title in 2003) and the Gold Coast, Campbell never wore the sky blue.

Matt Orford

The 2008 Dally M winner came perilously close to playing Origin on several occasions. While with the Storm in 2004 he was slotted in as an injury replacement for Brett Kimmorley but was ruled out himself with a calf injury and replaced by Brett Finch. For Game I 2006 Craig Gower was ruled out and selectors again looked to Orford, who again had to decline due to injury and was replaced by Brett Finch. He never got another chance and is one of just three Dally M winners this century who never played Origin.

media_camera Matt Orford came close to Origin several times.

Ben Barba

There’s still time for Ben Barba and Kevin Walters has indicated that the Sharks fullback is very much in his future plans for Queensland but to see Barba in 2012 and knowing that four years later he would not have played Origin is rather shocking. The flashy flyer fell off the rails in 2013 and had rough stints with the Broncos and Sharks in 2014-15 before rediscovering his best form this season.

Michael Luck

As they say in The Highlander, there can be only one. When Queensland needed a workhorse lock in 2006 they had to decide between the Storm’s Dallas Johnson and the Warriors Michael Luck. They chose Johnson, who played in four straight winning series, while Luck was left out in the cold. The one time record holder for most tackles in an NRL game, Luck was 18th man for the Maroons in 2007 and named for an emerging Origin squad in 2009 but never got a shot.

media_camera They didn’t come much tougher than Michael Luck.

Jake Friend

As with Barba, Friend may one day make his Origin debut. In fact, he seems one of the prime candidates to succeed Cameron Smith. But Roosters stalwart is yet to test himself at one of the game’s highest levels due to Smith’s incredible longevity and durability — the Maroons legend has missed just one Origin since making his debut in Game III of 2003 and on that occasion Matt Ballin received the call.

Shaun Fensom

It is beyond inexplicable that Shaun Fensom has never played rep football. Not even a Country Origin jersey for one of the toughest, hardest working players in the NRL. As with Alan Tongue before him, if Fensom were a Queenslander or playing for a more high-profile club his Origin career would have begun years ago. Far from the one-dimensional tackle bag he is unfairly regarded as by some, Fensom was an effective runner and had a wonderful late offload in the Corey Parker mould. However, with injuries beginning to slow him down and seemingly out of favour at Canberra, Fensom’s day seems to have passed.

media_camera Would Shaun Fensom have played Origin were he at a different club?

Ryan Hinchcliffe

One of Craig Bellamy’s highest favourites, the versatile Hinchcliffe was part of several extended NSW squads but was never able to crack it for a game. The ongoing rivalry between Michael Ennis and Robbie Farah — nobody other than those two has played hooker for the Blues since Danny Buderus called it a day in 2008 — meant there was no room for Hinchcliffe, a tough and skilful player who would have held his own.

media_camera Britt played for Australia but not New South Wales.

Darren Britt

Darren Britt was a true anomaly in that he had a fine Test career, spanning from 1998 to 2000 and involving nine matches, but was never picked for the Blues. The towering Bulldogs prop was struck by injury in 1999 but was inexplicably overlooked in 2000 and despite being a model of consistency and strength throughout his career he was continually overlooked.