Ryan Papenhuyzen hasn't been idle despite spending much of the season on the injured list.
The Storm superstar has been negotiating a new deal with the club and is on the verge of announcing a massive three-year extension.
The 22-year-old flyer is already signed until the end of next season, but clubs would have been lining up to talk to him this November when he was legally entitled to test the market.
Papenhuyzen knows the Storm is the best place for him to keep playing his superb brand of football and hasn't even entertained the thought of making a move.
With his back-up Nicho Hynes heading to Cronulla next year, signing Papenhuyzen has become a huge priority for the Storm and expect the new long-term deal to be announced in coming weeks.
TENSE MAROONS TROUNCED BY COOL BLUES
Players from the rival NSW and Queensland camps painted a vastly different picture of the build-up to Origin I once the dust settled.
The Blues, despite being under massive weight of expectation as favourites and under-achievers last season, had a relaxed, enjoyable time, in keeping with their laid-back coach Brad Fittler.
Queensland, on the other hand, felt tense and under pressure, with their coach Paul Green desperate to make a good impression in his Origin debut back at his old home in Townsville.
You could see from the kick-off that the Blues were more on the pace, stress-free and ready to play - whether that was because of the contrasting lead-ups, we will never know.
Now suddenly, it's the Maroons under all the pressure to perform in game two after their humiliating performance in game one, with the Blues knowing even a Queensland win has NSW still well-placed, with the decider set for Sydney.
INGLIS STINT MAY ALREADY BE DONE
There's whispers that Greg Inglis' comeback in England with the Warrington club could be short-lived.
Inglis tore his hamstring badly three weeks ago and hasn't even started rehab yet, with sources telling me the 34-year-old is 'resting'.
Whether at age 34 he can come back from such a serious injury - a grade three tear - remains to be seen.
The Wolves are also in the hunt for former Raiders halfback George Williams and may want to do some juggling with their salary cap with 'GI' to squeeze the talented No.7 into their squad.
Inglis has played just three games for Wolves, showing some glimpses of his best with two tries.
WILLIAMS TOILS TOWARDS NEW DEAL
Sam Williams is a genuine rugby league journeyman - a player who has run around in both hemispheres and is currently in his third stint with the Canberra Raiders.
He's no world-beater - but at 30 he is a good clubman, knows how to steer a team around the park and doesn't make many mistakes.
Williams has stepped up when the club needed him most, in recent weeks when the Raiders lost his namesake, homesick Englishman George Williams.
Williams was outstanding in the Raiders' drought-breaking win over the Broncos last weekend, scoring one try and laying on several more, and his manager will meet with the club this week to talk about a deal for 2022.
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from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/mole-melbourne-storm-ryan-papenhuyzen-deal-state-of-origin-nsw-queensland-camps/1d8492cf-e6d3-409a-bf38-93c6f88a8973
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