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Nate Myles an inspiration for Maroons veteran Josh McGuire
June 21, 2018
Josh McGuire doesn't feel the responsibility of, by virtual default, being one of Queensland's senior players as they try to save their series on Sunday.
Yet he can't dismiss it either.
And that's why he will take the influence of 32-game veteran Nate Myles with him to Sydney and just grind away and "do my job".
Theirs is an appropriate comparison.
Myles, whose club form did not always reflect his Origin standing, was made for interstate scrapping. The wrestling, the enforcer touches that got under the skin of opponents, the attitude of take no quarter and stand up to the onslaught that seemed so natural to him.
McGuire, who had Myles by his side in his first seven appearances in the Holden State of Origin arena, does not have the same physical stature but comes from a similar mould.
The 28-year-old veteran of 185 Telstra Premiership games is a natural Origin "brawler" in the sense of thriving in the up-front contest. He's in his opponents' face, he doesn't mind some talk and niggle, he's certainly relentless but often understated in how he influences a match.
"I learned a lot off Corey Parker when I first got here, being a club teammate," McGuire said.
"But Nate was the massive factor in making me feel comfortable in the team and showing me the ropes.
"He was a warrior of the game, in my opinion one of the greatest Origin players to have played the game. I feel Origin is like a different sport than NRL. Nate was a guy who just got it. He was good at what he did.
"I know everyone who played with Nate loved playing with him and that's all you can really ask for – that your teammates love playing with you and want you there. That's the biggest accolade you can get as a player."
McGuire made his debut in game one of 2015. He has missed just one Queensland appearance since, making Sunday his 10th match in a Maroons jersey.
Evidence of the changing face of the Queensland team is the fact he is the fifth-most experienced player in the 18-man squad, having played more games than Dane Gagai (debuted game three 2015), Gavin Cooper (game 3, 2016), Dylan Napa (game 1, 2017), Valentine Holmes, Jarrod Wallace, Coen Hess and Tim Glasby (all game 2, 2017), Ben Hunt and Cameron Munster (both game 3, 2017), plus 2018 newcomers Felise Kaufusi, Jai Arrow, Andrew McCullough and Kalyn Ponga.
"That era had come to an end. We've lost some of the best players to have played the game," McGuire said.
"I was lucky to learn a lot of lessons from those old warriors who had been playing for a long while. Those guys were just used to the Origin arena and what it took to get things done. They really focused on getting the little things right.
"We've got a much younger side now than when I came in. But I don't feel any responsibility of being a leader, not at all.
"Now it's an opportunity for the young guys to make a case themselves to be here for the next game and the next game after that."
Wallace, two years younger than McGuire, likes the Myles analogy in how the Broncos enforcer approaches his football.
"Josh is such a crucial player in our team, and his teammates know that more than anyone I'd say. He gets through a lot of minutes and a lot of work," Wallace said.
"He's a phenomenal player to play against because he is always there. He's like a bulldog always, snapping at your heels. He's not the biggest forward but always the guy willing to make that run or make that crucial tackle.
"That's what this team is about and why you love playing with him."
Source: NRL.com
