Maroons pack has no gap for Shillington FORMER Test prop Dave Shillington is itching to regain his Queensland spot but agrees with Dave Taylor's theory on the Maroons.
When Taylor was returned to the Maroons' 17 for Game II after fulfilling all of coach Mal Meninga's requirements to improve his club form, he said breaking into a winning Queensland squad was probably harder than trying to beat NSW.
Shillington, who returned to the action with the Raiders on Sunday after a seven-week injury lay-off, sympathises with that statement.
"If there's a spot for me I'll throw my hat in the ring. But the way Queensland is going they might not need to make any changes," said Shillington who was a first-choice prop in the past two series.
The Brisbane Brothers junior has also played seven Tests for Australia. It would have been eight if he had not been ruled out of the May 6 Anzac Test on the Gold Coast after failing the medical with a torn pectoral injury.
He took the enforced time out to clean up his right knee as well.
"My knee was holding me back earlier in the year, swollen and sore all the time. I'd torn all the cartilage behind my kneecap so they went in there and smoothed it all over.
"I feel great now. But I know the Queensland boys are also going great. I won't hold my breath but I'd love to be back in there."
Shillington made seven runs and 16 tackles coming off the bench for the Raiders on Sunday in the heart-stopping 25-24 loss at Suncorp Stadium after the Broncos let slip a 24-0 lead.
But Canberra has the bye next weekend, which robs Shillington of another match to impress Queensland selectors before they pick the Game III team.
"I'm dying to get back there. And I would have loved to have kept playing next week to give me three games under my belt before Game III is picked," he said.
Shillington is certainly Origin material but at the moment Meninga has top class front rowers in his starting pack, Petero Civoniceva and Matt Scott, plus Ben Hannant and Taylor on the bench.
"If I was a selector I wouldn't know who to drop," Shillington said. "It's a really strong team so that makes me want to be in there as much as the ones that are there want to hold their spots."
Source: The Australian
Topic: Maroons pack has no gap for Shillington
