Call him biased, call him whatever you want - Ricky Stuart doesn't care. He means it when he says Nick Cotric is "the best winger in the competition".
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So what would NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler have seen if he was watching the Canberra Raiders take on the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Canberra Stadium on Friday night?
He would have seen Aidan Sezer nail a field goal in the final seconds to give the Raiders a thrilling 21-20 win in front of 11,105 fans.
More importantly, he would have seen NSW Blues bolter Cotric score a double, set up another pearler, force Tom Trbojevic into touch to give Canberra one more shot in the final minute, and take a former State of Origin winger to the cleaners.
"Do I expect to see Nick Cotric [picked for NSW]? It’s not from a biased coach, it’s not from a coach who has really got a wonderful rap on the kid," Stuart said.
"If you’re picking the best wingers in the competition for NSW, he is your first winger picked.
"Whether he is on the right side or the left side, he is a natural right side player, he is your first winger picked.
"Call me biased, call me whatever you want, I don’t care, he is the best winger in the competition."
The 19-year-old could become the first Raider to debut for NSW since Blake Ferguson in game one in 2013, and the youngest Canberra player to represent the Blues since Bradley Clyde.
Sure, Fittler also would have seen Manly fullback Trbojevic piece together an impressive outing in his final audition for the NSW fullback jersey. But "Cotric" was the name on everyone's lips.
Were you watching, Mr. Fittler? Blues advisor Greg Alexander certainly was.
Alexander has revealed the Raiders young gun is within reach of a sky blue jersey with the squad to be named on Monday night.
Manly coach Trent Barrett says Cotric's impending Blues selection is a matter of "when", not "if" as the Green Machine flyer continues to brush off concerns about second year syndrome.
"He's a good player, he's a strong ball carrier and he will get his chance whether it's this series or not," Barrett said.
"He is a young player with a lot of ability."
Cotric had plenty of run-ins with another Blues contender in Trbojevic, and Barrett declared his fullback will handle being thrown anywhere on the field in the Origin cauldron.
"He is a fullback, but wherever they pick him, if they want to pick him on the wing or at centre, he will handle it," Barrett said.
"I thought some of his carries coming out of yardage were really strong, and if they do pick him on the wing that's what they're going to need."
Raiders back-rower Josh Papalii is also in the mix for an Origin call-up which would pit the Canberra teammates on opposite sides.
The Queensland Maroons incumbent says the hype around his form means nothing unless the Green Machine is winning games, but Stuart has already declared he deserves another Origin jumper.
