It will be a very different Luke Lewis who returns to the NSW State of Origin lineup on Wednesday after a five-year absence.
Back in 2004, Lewis weighed in at 89kg and played his football mostly on the wing or in the centres.
The versatile Penrith star now tips the scales at 102kg and will likely slot in at lock against Queensland after taking the luckless Glenn Stewart's spot on the bench.
''The game has changed a bit, it's very hard to get the ball in the centres at the moment unless they're firing the ball out there,'' Lewis said.
''I'm really enjoying playing lock and in the middle of the field.
''I probably never thought I'd be there, but I'm enjoying it.''
Stewart was ruled out of Origin I at Docklands after being suspended for one match for a dangerous throw by the NRL judiciary.
By Lewis's reckoning, he had been named 18th man for NSW four times since 2004 and twice for Australia without getting the final call-up. Until now.
And he was quick to pay tribute to Stewart, who gave him plenty of encouragement and advice in the past few days.
''He was pretty good to me at the start of the week giving me a heads-up and that helped me mentally,'' Lewis said yesterday at Skilled Stadium, the home ground of AFL club Geelong, where the Blues and Cats lightly trained together.
''I've just been trying to prepare for the game as much as I can.
''I appreciate it heaps. Glenn's an unreal bloke and the way he handled everything was really good.
''He just said 'prepare to play' and gave me a good indication of how to prepare and that's probably just the experience coming through and helping me out.''
Having spent so long on the representative sidelines in recent times, Lewis plans to keep it simple against the star-studded Maroons, who are chasing a record fourth straight series victory.
''I just want to go out and rip in for the guys I'm playing next to,'' he said. ''Do everything I possibly can, try and play tough and hard and bring something to the team, anything really. So long as I can do my best and help out the bloke beside me, I'm happy.''
He attributes his change of luck at the NSW selection table to the recent good form shown by the Panthers, who sit fourth on the NRL table.
''Full credit to my team out at Penrith, all the boys that helped me get here,'' he said.
''We're playing goody footy and the forward pack is going well.
''If you're playing good footy some of your players get recognised.''
Gold Coast forward Anthony Laffranchi is the Blues' new 18th man.
Paul Gallen is the biggest fitness concern for NSW, with the Cronulla lock still struggling with a shoulder injury.
Queensland forward Ben Hannant said NSW would lose nothing with the inclusion of Lewis.
''There's no better backrower in the competition at the moment than Luke Lewis,'' he said.
But Hannant questioned how NSW's rookie front-rowers Justin Poore and Michael Weyman would handle the added physicality and speed of Origin football.
Hannant played all three games off the bench last year and said it took him at least 10-20 minutes to adapt to the higher intensity.
''Origin football is a different game of football and we have to wait and see how they handle the pace and physical side of the game,'' Hannant said.
''It's definitely a lot faster and a lot more physical, but in saying that you definitely lift for these games and it brings out the best in all players. They're in form at the moment and we're going to have a tough job to handle them.'' AAP
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