'I enjoy the ground': Queensland's cauldron is Papi's field of dreams

And Papenhuyzen knows he would not disappoint again on Queensland's hallowed turf if given the nod by NSW coach Brad Fittler to make his Origin debut on Wednesday night.

Papenhuyzen struggled with a calf injury and was ineligible for selection the opening two Origin games, but Fittler wasted no time naming him in the No. 18 jersey for the decider.

Fittler was giving nothing away over the weekend but did reveal the players were already aware of who would actually take the field in the decider. He added ''a lot of the staff are fans of his''. Could he do the same job as Nathan Brown or even Dale Finucane for limited minutes in the middle?

Should Papenhuyzen debut, none of his family nor friends will be able to attend the game because of Queensland's strict border restrictions.

But the Clive Churchill Medallist will be simply happy to get a crack at the Maroons, and at Queensland's famous ''Cauldron'' where he has already created so many wonderful memories.

"There was Magic Round, the Roosters, the Parramatta final . . . there was also an under-18s Origin game up here when we won 26-0,'' Papenhuyzen told the Herald.

"I enjoy the ground. If I get the opportunity on Wednesday, because I've had a few good games there, it will be in my mind I can do it again.''

When Papenhuyzen debuted for Melbourne, he played in the middle and ran against the tiring forwards either side of half-time, and he knows the Blues would use him in a similar role.

"That was my job when I debuted, and it would be no different if I was to debut on Wednesday,'' he said.

"You don't have much to think about, just make my tackles and when I get my hands on the footy be dangerous.''

Another Melbourne youngster, Harry Grant, will definitely make his debut, and Papenhuyzen could not be happier for him.

"Harry is a Queenslander through and through, and when we were in Melbourne we'd watch an Origin game together and give each other shit afterwards, depending on whose team had won,'' Papenhuyzen said.

Paul Grant, Harry's father, was raised in Port Macquarie and moved to Yeppoon, in central Queensland, in 1988 before raising his four boys, including youngest Harry.

"I was NSW all the way through growing up - until Friday,'' said Paul, in reference to the day Harry was named to make his Maroons debut.

"I always said if one of my boys made it for Queensland I'd turn, and now I've turned. I've got a lot of family still in Port Macquarie and NSW. All the 'cockroaches' are now Queensland supporters.

"Harry is a dyed-in-the-wool Queenslander. Normally I wouldn't get spoken to for six weeks during the Origin series up here. They love to hold a grudge.

"I always used to con one of the boys every now and then to support NSW for a game or two. But never Harry.''

Paul said Newcastle had expressed a brief interest at the start of last year, and had privately held out hope it would happen given he was only a couple of hours away from his relatives on the mid NSW north coast.