BEN Ross describes his omission from the Queensland State of Origin team in 2007 as "a kick in the guts" but his focus this year is on helping Cronulla to a maiden premiership ¿ not representative reward.
In fact the 27-year-old prop says he wants to be a "Sharkie" for life despite rocky times under the coaching of the uncompromising Ricky Stuart.
Ross has not given up on his Queensland ambitions but he says his experience last year meant he would not get his hopes up again.
"It's always in the back of your mind that you want to play Origin and it was a bit of a kick in the guts last year when I wasn't looked at in any way – not even for 18th man," he said.
"Steve Price and Petero Civoniceva are great players and I'm sure they will be around for the next year or two. I'll be 30 then and Ricky Stuart keeps telling me that's when props play their best footy.
"As long as I play good footy this year I'll be happy."
Queensland chairman of selectors Des Morris has made it clear the front row is the Maroons' headache position, given that Price is 33 and Civoniceva is 31.
He reiterated yesterday that Ross had not had his papers marked and would come into contention. "Ben is still only young and his best football should be in front of him," Morris said.
Ross says his reported run-ins with Stuart were "more media hype than anything". Stuart was not at the Sharks when Ross was signed from Penrith, where he had forged a reputation as one of the game's rising hard men.
A knee injury restricted Ross to seven matches for Cronulla in 2006. Last year he played 18 NRL games, including 11 in the starting side. He is at short odds to start for Cronulla in its round 1 clash with Manly at Brookvale Oval on Saturday week.
"I'm on a very substantial pay packet at Cronulla and my last two years haven't been my best, so people are going to talk and say 'is he worth the money?. Should he go or should he stay or whatever?'," Ross said.
"But Ricky wants me there and I'm happy to stay at Cronulla. It's where I've settled down with my partner and I couldn't be happier.
"I've got another two years left on a four-year contract, which I'm happy with, and hopefully I can extend the deal. Maybe it will not be on the same money I'm on now but I'd still like to extend."
Ross said he had shelved plans to play in England for the meantime as the Sharks search for their first title. "Maybe in the future but I really want to win that first premiership with Cronulla," he said.
The Sharks missed out on the finals by two points in 2007 after a series of narrow losses and Ross said the players did not want any more talk of "what ifs" or near misses.
"We had nine games where we could have won last year and it would have put us on top of the table," he said. "We thought if we made the top eight the grand final was anyone's for the taking."
