Would Utoikamanu be back in Blue if he was still a Tiger?
Would Stefano Utoikamanu have been selected for State of Origin if he had stayed at the Wests Tigers?
Of course, it's a hypothetical question. It's also worth remembering that Utoikamanu made his NSW debut while at the Tigers, one of the few players to make the step up to interstate level from the joint-venture club.
However, his failure to make a second appearance for the Blues by the end of 2024 allowed him to activate a release that eventually led him to Melbourne.
After being an unused reserve in the opening game, a season-ending knee injury to Warriors forward Mitch Barnett has opened the door for Utoikamanu in game two.
The front-rower is too diplomatic to be drawn into speculation over whether his chance would have arisen if he was still a Tiger.
'It's hard to say,' Utoikamanu said. 'The Tigers are going better now than we were last year, so I wouldn't know.'
Maybe it's a question better directed at Terrell May, whose contributions since shifting from Bondi Junction to Concord are, at least statistically, as good as any prop in the game. Regardless, Utoikamanu concedes joining the Storm – especially now that Melbourne mentor Craig Bellamy and footy boss Frank Ponissi are in NSW camp – didn't hurt his chances of a Blues call-up.
'It was one of the things I looked at when I was going to leave the Wests Tigers,' he said. 'I feel like the Melbourne Storm have such a good system and being in it now, I'm happy I made the move and happy to be here.'
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