Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Olympics
Football
Netball
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Full Noise by SN
'On the Radar': Daley Eyes Warriors' breakout star for Origin debut
Sport Nation •  May 5th, 2026 4:47 pm
Jackson Ford | Photo: Photosport
With the State of Origin opener looming at the end of the month, Blues coach Laurie Daley has a mountain of notes to call upon as he ponders his squad for Sydney on May 27.
Among those players in consideration are a host of new faces in the frame for their Origin debut, one of whom is Jackson Ford.
Ford is in the midst of a breakout campaign for the second-placed Warriors, posting some eye-popping numbers, recently becoming the first prop - according to Random Stats Guy - to record 300-plus tackles and 1400-plus metres through the first nine rounds of the season.
It's those kinds of figures which have seen him rise to second in the Dally M standings behind only the great Nathan Cleary, and they've certainly made Daley sit up and take notice.
"He's certainly on the radar," Daley told Sport Nation's Millsy & Guy.
"I like the fact that he's what I'd probably call a banker. He's someone that you can rely on and someone that you just bank on being there and if you need him to play 80 minutes, he can do that.Â
Jackson Ford's Dally M robbery against the Eels | Scotty & Izzy
"He's not as explosive as some of the other front-rowers, but he does a lot of the clean-up work and I think you need those players in a balanced forward pack, so he'll be closely looked at."Â
Daley says he's had tabs on the Sydneysider for some time now, keeping a keen eye on his development as the kind of reliable workhorse instrumental to any Origin-winning squad. Â
"It's not just this year, he's been building nicely over the last two seasons. His work rate, his efforts away from the football, he ties in nicely when the ball goes past him from a defensive point of view. When it's his turn to put pressure on the opposition kicker, he does that. He gets behind the ball when he needs to quickly and he's always there putting his hand up for a tough carry.Â
"He's someone I think would do well at that level and he is someone that we definitely are looking at and he's one of the reasons why the Warriors are having good success.Â
"They can bring on all those big powerful forwards that they have but knowing that they've got a bloke that's just going to do his job and do the tidy up and clean work and you can rely on it."
Listen to the full interview below:
