As a young bloke growing up in Brisbane, Hymel Hunt used to watch Origin in absolute awe of his idols Darren Lockyer and Toni Carroll.
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Now, the Knights winger is only a step away from becoming a Maroon himself and he is still struggling to come to terms with it.
"It's unbelievable - I'm just so happy to get some recognition like this," Hunt told the Newcastle Herald.
"I'm over the moon - I just can't believe it to be honest. Everyone keeps saying 'you deserve it' and stuff but growing up in Queensland, it's honestly like a dream that's come true for me.
"I know it's only the squad and doesn't guarantee anything but it's a step closer than I've ever been before."
Hunt moved to Brisbane from Samoa with his family when he was just two with his parents wanting a better life for them and the kids.
But while he wasn't born north of the border, Hunt says he is every inch a Maroon.
"You won't meet a more Queenslander than me," he says. "I grew up wanting to play for the Broncos. Darren Lockyer and Toni Carroll were my idols growing up. Watching Toni Carroll chopping guys in half and obviously Darren Lockyer steering the ship, I loved them, they were unreal."
He says it has been an emotional week for him since learning of his selection.
"Even playing with Greggy [Greg Inglis] and Dane Gagai - all those Origin boys - it gives me goose bumps even thinking about it. I get quite emotional to be even considered to play Origin," he said.
While Hunt was holding out hope and had a "little bit of a feeling" that he might sneak into the squad when it was announced last week, he wasn't hanging off his phone waiting. Which explains a number of missed calls, one from Knights footy general manager Danny Buderus.
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His immediate thought when he saw Buderus' name come up was he must have done something wrong.
"I text him and asked is everything alright," he said. "When you get a call from the club manager a few days into the off-season, I'm thinking what have I done wrong.
"He text back to say it's good news and I rang him and he told me. It was quite an emotional phonecall and I'm super happy.
"I was with the boys and when they found out, they all just lost it. It was unreal. Without them, I wouldn't be in this position and be even considered to play Origin."
Hunt said he was rapt for Edrick Lee to be chosen as well but was disappointed Kurt Mann was over-looked.
"I was hoping Kurt [Mann] might make it too. I was a bit shocked he didn't," he said.
"The first person I told after the boys was my partner and then I face-timed by parents and they were over the moon. My family wanted to move to Australia for a better life than in Samoa. I'm glad they did because all my family is doing really well. It would have been a big decision but I'm really glad my parents made it."
It caps off a strong season for Hunt, his best in the NRL, and he can feel the Knights are on the rise despite a disappointing end to the season.