After a landslide of support from high profile players in recent weeks, Dale Finucane has rightfully been announced for the NSW Blues.
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On Sunday alone Michael Ennis joined a chorus of NRL players to back Finucane for selection with the Melbourne Storm lock named a utility forward at number 14 for Origin II.
It wasn't until the weekend that Finucane learned of his selection, saying selectors had kept him in the dark during the week.
"I did hear before game one that I wouldn't be a part of the squad... but I haven't heard anything [since] to be honest," Finucane told NRL.com.
"I would love to be involved in an Origin team or an Origin squad," Finucane said.
"It is something that everyone aspires to and wants to be a part of and I feel like I have been playing quite consistently this year in comparison with other years."
Finucane told the NRL he would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
After an injury to forward David Klemmer in NSW's opening loss to the Maroons, Finucane became a natural choice as a versatile forward, or back row option with an incredible work rate.
He's previously had the nod from coach Craig Bellamy, but a venerable choir of NRL voices began echoing that sentiment for about two weeks now.
"He has been ultra consistent. He is extremely tough. He is a competitor and he plays enormous minutes at the Melbourne Storm. He gets through a mountain of work and I know his character," Ennis told Fox Sports.
"When the players see a player like Finucane in their dressing room before kick-off, you know he won't let you down."
Matty Johns and Brett Finch piled on support during a podcast last week for the Bega export who has played in five of the last seven NRL grand finals.
"If he was a Queenslander he'd of been a guaranteed pick." Finch says in the podcast.
"Dont underestimate Dale's ball-playing ability in the middle of the field.
"He's a smart footy player and not just a tough hombre.
"Finucane has been playing such high level footy for four years now, he's been outstanding for a long-long time at the Storm," he said with Johns and journalist Paul Kent in full agreement.
Another echoing the sentiment during the week was Mark Geyer during a radio chat on Triple M about Origin II in Perth.
I'd personally put Jake Trbojevic up front and bring in Dale Finucane," NRL great Mark Geyer said on Triple M radio last week.
"He's prime and he's ready," he said adding that Craig Bellamy said Finucane would be first pick if he was the NSW coach.
Finucane will join another South Coast product in Tariq Sims off the interchange for the Blues when they face Queensland in Perth on June 23 at Optus Stadium.
Kick-off will be at 7.50pm on Sunday night.