Peter Sterling says South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt has earned his chance at State of Origin Todd Carney discusses his decision-making processes as he takes on the line in an exclusive interview with Sterlo. AT the end of the 2006 season South Sydney's Nathan Merritt was positioned at the top of that year's try-scoring list. No great surprise for a man considered one of the game's best finishers at 23 years of age and in his fifth season of first grade. Except for the startling fact that his team finished with the dreaded wooden spoon. The Rabbits won a meagre three matches from the 24 contested, yet their winger was able to lead the field with 22 touchdowns next to his name. Manly's Brett Stewart was next best, two behind. Merritt's achievement was truly remarkable. From his debut against the Warriors in 2002, Nathan has always shown an uncanny knack for getting the ball over the line. He boasts a stunning strike-rate of 146 tries in 208 matches. With nine already under his belt this year in a powerful Souths line-up, he is a realistic chance of overtaking the club record of 29 in a season set by Les Brennan way back in the 1950s. Actually, I should not use the word "boast" in a sentence when talking about Nathan because there are few more modest or unassuming individuals in the game. Suffice to say that he is no Wendell Sailor. Nathan Merritt at Souths training. However, it does the Alexandria Rovers junior an injustice to only concentrate on his try-scoring feats because he is much more than just a finisher. Nathan is a complete footballer whose work off the ball is equally as impressive as when he has it in his hands. His reading and cover of dangerous situations is astute, he is constantly looking for work well away from his left flank and defensively his positioning and communication is first class. In recent weeks, centre Bryson Goodwin has been receiving plenty of deserved wraps for his work against dangerous opponents. His effort to close down Manly's Jamie Lyon three weeks ago was highly effective, but don't underestimate the support he was given by the man on his outside. Centres and wingers must work in tandem and the Souths duo are definitely in tune. So if Merritt has all these outstanding attributes, why is it that he has not yet represented at a higher level than City Origin or Prime Minister's XIII. His name has certainly been mentioned in Origin dispatches almost annually without ever getting the nod. The reason it would seem is that for many years now NSW have had a preoccupation with picking big, powerful flankers whose size and strength have been essential requirements. If you look back through recent Origin campaigns, the likes of Brett Morris, Akuila Uate, Jarryd Hayne, Joel Monaghan, David Williams, Anthony Quinn, Matt King, Eric Grothe jnr and Timana Tahu all fit into that category. There have been a few exceptions, with Steve Turner, Hazem El Masri, Michael Gordon and Newcastle's James McManus all being given a debut game each. However, the Blues definitely favour athletic wingers with plenty of size because much of Origin is about bringing the ball out of corners from on your own line. The success in that early carry then determines the quality of the following set of six. This tends to carry as much, if not more, importance than the finishing expertise of a winger, although that also carries plenty of attraction. With incumbent Blues winger Brett Morris having arthroscopic knee surgery yesterday, Nathan's name has again been mentioned as a possible replacement if the Dragon flyer fails to recover in time for the opening Origin contest on June 5. Being a fellow left-sided player, Merritt would be a leading alternative as a replacement option. However, if Morris overcomes the knee problem in time, I would hate to think that Merritt would drop out of consideration for selection on the other side of the field because he doesn't play there at club level. This would be particularly hard to fathom when you consider that Jarryd Hayne has played a number of games for NSW on the wing despite not even occupying that position for Parramatta. If a player understands the game he will have absolutely no problem getting the job done on either side of the field, whether he plays there regularly or not, and if you watch the anticipation and positioning associated with Nathan Merritt's performances on a weekly basis, then it is clear that he "knows" the game. It is why he is instrumental in stopping as many tries as he scores. I understand that Origin is a different beast and that selectors tend to look for important and defined traits for this confrontation that aren't necessarily the most obvious. It is also clear that the Rabbitohs star is not built like Manu Vatuvei or now possesses the pure speed of an Akuila Uate. However, what also should not be overlooked is that to beat Queensland the Blues ultimately need to stop and score more points than their opposition and I'm certain Nathan Merritt would prove particularly advantageous in both departments. Join Peter Sterling, Matt Johns, Mark Gasnier as Sterlo sits down with special guest Cowboys coach Neil Henry, takes you inside the video referee's box and interviews Sharks star Todd Carney.