Initially there was the buzz and excitement of being picked and the vulnerability that comes with the responsibility of playing for your state in such a high stakes game. But for me, I reckon the biggest emotion this week has been a sense of pride.

My Origin career has been a real emotional roller-coaster. There has been some amazing highs after wins but a lot of down times and mentally challenging times after defeats. Every emotion possible I've probably felt at various times. I'd be lying if I said getting over some of those losses and the criticism that came with it was easy. It wasn't. But it's funny how coming into camp last week and experiencing that Origin feeling again can change your perspective.

Because of some of the baggage of the past, I've probably only ever really focused on the negatives and never considered the positives. Over the past week though, I have thought about them a whole lot more. I've thought about the support I have received from coaches over the years who have been willing to pick me and teammates who have wanted me in the side alongside of them. That's where the sense of personal pride has come in. There were plenty of people writing me off saying I would never be picked again but here I am being trusted with a Blues jersey again. That trust means a great deal to me.

It's hard to express in words what this whole experience of Origin means to me. I tried to as best I could on Monday night during our jumper presentation.

Getting up to get my jersey and speaking in front of the boys was just a real emotional moment for me and the tears flowed a bit. There was just this overwhelming sense of pride that came over me. Like I said, it's hard to explain.

People have asked me about the team and how I've fitted in. When I walked into the hotel to join the squad last week, all the boys were in the team room having a feed and I got a really good reaction. This is a special team, a really good group of boys. I played with different eras of players over the past decade so to come back in now a bit older, having not been involved for a few years, it's a different feel. You've got the younger boys with only a couple of games experience like your Cam Murrays and players I played some rep footy before with like Wade Graham and Boyd [Cordner] and Jimmy [Maloney].

I'm excited for the game. Excited for what we can achieve. My plan going in is just to rip in and compete hard for my teammates for the full 80 minutes. Do that and those special Origin moments will come.