Stefano Utoikamanu left the Wests Tigers due to a clause in his contract that was activated after he failed to make two appearances for NSW by the end of 2024.
Five months after exiting the club to join Craig Bellamy in Melbourne, however, Utoikamanu is back in blue, after NSW coach Laurie Daley named him among his reserves for game one in Brisbane next week.
“My decision to leave the Tigers was based on development,” Utoikamanu said. “I feel like I’m trying to take the next step to become a better player, and it’s been a bit of a long journey and a bit of a process to try and get back to this squad.
“To be honest, I didn’t really expect to get into this squad. When I got the phone call to say I was in the mix I was pretty excited. I’m very excited to be here and to be around this group of boys and the quality kind of players that are here. It’s pretty crazy.”
Utoikamanu’s return to the Origin arena after just six months under Bellamy’s guidance has vindicated his move to Melbourne – backed up by the fact Tigers trio Jarome Luai, Terrell May and Apisai Koroisau were all overlooked for spots in Daley’s team despite impressive form in 2025.
Tigers centre Adam Doueihi was invited to train with the Blues in the Blue Mountains on Wednesday and Thursday – along with Jacob Preston and Cody Ramsey – but is not part of the official NSW squad.
Stefano Utoikamanu is back in the Blues squad after leaving the Tigers.Credit: Graphic: Sydney Morning Herald
Since the Wests Tigers’ entry into the NRL in 2000, they have made the finals just three times – in 2005, 2010 and 2011.
In that time, only eight players have made their Origin debut while playing for the club – though one of those was Harry Grant, who was on a one-season loan from the Storm.
If you include any player who has played Origin during their time at the Tigers, that number increases to 12.
No other club has had fewer Origin representative players since 2000 except the Dolphins, who only entered the competition in 2023, and the Warriors, whose team has been dominated by domestic talent not eligible for the interstate series.
Even the Titans – who entered the NRL in 2007 – have had more representative players than the Tigers.
Utoikamanu’s presence in the NSW squad could prove crucial, too, with first-choice prop Payne Haas missing day one of training as he nurses a quad injury.
“Payno [Haas] might not play, and you don’t really know what’s going to happen, so I feel like everyone in this 20-man squad is a chance to play – even Campbell Graham and Haumole [Olakau’atu],” Utoikamanu said.
“They’re two guys that are out of the 17, and I think everyone’s just got to train like they’re ready to play.”
When asked what improvements he had made to his game in the past five months that helped put him on Daley’s radar, Utoikamanu said the standard of the Storm system was pushing him to his best.
“I think probably just little things in my game in defence and attack. Just being more aware of when to get in and out of tackles, and probably just working a bit more with my team, which is still a bit of a process now,” he said.
“I’m still not the best I can be, and I know I can develop more as a player, but I think coming into a squad like this when there are already a lot of quality players here … just looking at how they prepare for the games and what they kind of see on the field is probably going to help me.”
Turning out alongside some of the best players in the competition – four of who will line up for Queensland next week – has forced Utoikamanu to raise the bar.
“In Melbourne, pretty much everyone’s a team player, puts the team first,” he said. “I’ve gone down there and that’s something that’s pretty big, team first. Craig’s pretty big on effort, all the effort areas.”
“That was something else that I probably needed to improve in my game – just when I’m tired, making that extra effort to get into a tackle or push up with someone that’s running the ball. I think small things like that add to my game.”
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