'Just another Maroons jersey': Why Robson won't talk about Dearden

Wesptac NSW Blues hooker Reece Robson doesn’t want to talk about Cowboys team-mate Tom Dearden being given the Queensland No.7 jersey for Wednesday night’s Origin in Perth.

He doesn’t want to talk about Cowboys co-captain Reuben Cotter or strike second-rower Jeremiah Nanai, who are also in the Maroons team for Origin II at Optus Stadium.

“I love the boys but when I get into this camp, they're just another player in a Maroons jersey,” Robson said.

I don't really think too much about them, other than what we need to do to nullify their game as much as we can.

"Obviously when we get back to the Cows, nothing's changed and I love the boys again but the focus shifts pretty quickly in these camps.”

Robson grew up on the NSW side of the border that divides the two states and while many of his mates jumped on the Queensland bandwagon during their eight consecutive series wins, his dislike for the Maroons strengthened each year.

“I was lucky, all of my family are New South Wales - they knew what it was about,” he said. “It’s been a lifelong dream to be able to pull on this Blues jersey.

“I grew up close to a lot of, I guess, adopted Queenslanders up there. When Queensland was so dominant a lot of my friends just jumped ship, obviously with us being so close to Queensland.

I guess that's what lit the fire in me so much and created the hate towards the Maroons.

“As a young kid, watching that built that hunger and desire to be able to pull on this jersey and hopefully bring some success back to NSW.”

After beating Queensland 18-6 in last month’s series opener at Suncorp Stadium, NSW have now won three consecutive Origin matches for the first time since 2005-2006.

Perhaps aware of what happened next, Robson is still reluctant to say the pendulum has swung back in favour of the Blues.

NSW won in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and were poised to again triumph in 2006 after leading the series decider 14-4 with less than 10 minutes to go – only for Maroons skipper Darren Lockyer to snatch victory with a 75th minute try under the posts.

The rest, as they say, is history, with Queensland not losing another series until 2014.

“They won eight straight and we've only won the one, so our focus now is getting that win on Wednesday night and we'll just keep taking it game by game and series by series,” Robson said.

“I don't know what the pendulum looks like or which way it's swinging, but it's my focus, and the team's focus, just to get that next win and do the best we can do to leave the jersey in a better spot.

“When I've got the chance to wear this jersey and have the No.9 on my back, I'm trying to do the best job I can to make the people of NSW proud, and make all the teammates around me proud and want to play alongside me.”

Since his Origin debut in 2023, Robson has made six appearances for the Blues – winning four matches and helping to reclaim the Shield last year.

Robson was rewarded with selection in the Australian squad for last year’s Pacific Championships but didn’t get to play as Queensland’s Harry Grant and Ben Hunt shared the dummy half duties.

However, the 26-year-old is hoping another series win for NSW can help earn him a spot on the end-of-season Kangaroos tour to England for the first Ashes series since 2003.

“That would be a dream come true to be able to pull on that Australian jersey,” Robson said.

“Obviously my focus right now is just playing the best I can for New South Wales and trying to have success here, but definitely that'd be a dream come true.

“I was in the squad last year, I didn't get a game, so that’s just built that drive even more.

"It has been a lifelong dream and it's always been a goal so I am going to work as hard as I can and hopefully that does come one day, and it would be awesome if that was at the end of the year.”