Nick Cotric's burning desire to finish what he started is fuelling his push to retain his sky blue jersey.
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The Canberra Raiders centre is locked in a three-man battle to retain his place in the NSW Blues side for game two of the State of Origin series in Perth on June 23.
The impending return of Manly flyer Tom Trbojevic has cast doubt over the places of Cotric and centre Brett Morris in the Blues line-up.
Blues coach Brad Fittler says Trbojevic is no certainty to return on the wing in game two following a mixed comeback from a hamstring injury in the NRL last week.
Cotric is desperate to close out the series in a bid to right the wrongs of game one and help the Blues to retain the shield.
"It would mean a lot to me," Cotric said.
"That would be a dream to do that, but I'm taking each day as it comes and I'm focused on doing the best I can this week against Cronulla and we'll see what happens.
"It's pretty crazy [to think I am an Origin player], I can't believe how quick it has gone. Game one is already done and dusted, it's over quick so you've got to make the most of it.
"It was good, it was a great experience to be with all of those top players. The experience at training, all the staff, all the coaches like Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler, to learn off them was great.
"I had a lot of fun in camp and they were all great blokes."
Should Trbojevic be favoured for a place on the wing, Cotric has a crucial chance to prove his worth for a centre position when the Raiders host the Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium on Thursday.
The Raiders star has made a seamless transition to right centre for Canberra to cover the loss of Joey Leilua following what is likely to be season-ending neck surgery.
Fittler will keep a close eye on Cotric's performance against the resurgent Sharks as he weighs up a potential positional swap for the young gun.
Cotric will be the first to say he doesn't care where he plays - he just wants to be in the mix.
"Centre is pretty fun, but also on the wing you can get involved with those yardage carries," Cotric said.
"I'm just happy to be out there. Whatever is better for the team, that's where I'll play.
"I've just got to keep playing good footy for the club and see what happens."
But a shift to centre would mean Cotric would need to unseat his roommate and opponent-to-be Morris, who shone after being lured out of representative retirement to fill a void for the Blues.
"He's a veteran, he's been around for a long time and he knows what Origin is about," Cotric said.
"I was rooming with him, he was a good guy and he really taught me a lot. He told me to keep calm and composed, and not to get too overwhelmed at the start of the game and just try your hardest."