NSW Blues player Payne Haas praises Broncos teammate and Queensland rival Gehamat Shibasaki ahead of State of Origin III
Teenage teammates at the Broncos, Shibasaki and Haas will play on opposing teams in a senior match for just the second time in next week's series decider.
ABC Sport will have live blog coverage of the State of Origin series.
But their path from Brisbane's U20s team in 2017 to Stadium Australia next Wednesday night could not be any more different.
While Haas has been one of the NRL's best front-rower for the past five years at Brisbane, Shibisaki has been on rollercoaster ride to crack it in first grade.
Like Haas, the centre debuted at the Broncos in 2018 but found himself out the door to Newcastle where he also struggled for game time.
A move to Japanese rugby with the Green Rockets Tokatsu followed in 2022, before he took up a train-and-trial deal with the North Queensland Cowboys.
The 26-year-old then spent last year playing Queensland Cup in Townsville, and time on a week-to-week contract arrangement with South Sydney during their injury crisis.
Another a train-and-trial deal came at Brisbane this year, where Shibasaki was reunited with Haas and clearly a different man to the one who left.
"He's way more dialled in," Haas said.
"He took his training more seriously, the way was eating, the way he was preparing for training, it was cool to see.
"I knew he was serious about it. I knew he knew this was his last shot. He took it with both hands and he's never looked back."
The difference is telling.
Shibasaki's selection for Queensland is about as left field as it gets, but it comes after a year where he has scored 12 tries in 15 games for the Broncos.
The centre has become the first player in history to be picked to play Origin while on a development deal.
Haas insisted Shibasaki's talent had always been there, even if it had taken until seven years after his NRL debut for him to become a top-grade regular.
"He's always been gifted, he was one of the best players growing up when we were kids," Haas said.
"He lost his way a bit the last few years. But he's found his way back and I'm super proud of him.
"He worked so hard, this was his last shot and he's taken it with both hands.
"I just hate that he's a Queenslander."
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