When Queensland's State of Origin side is made official on Tuesday night at the now customary gala reveal in Brisbane, Kyle Feldt will be in Townsville contemplating a dream that was so close, yet still about 1300km shy of becoming reality.

In truth, Feldt's dashed hopes were less about distance than time. If he could wind back the clock, the winger would concentrate that little bit harder on the two high balls he put down in the first half of North Queensland's win against Brisbane.

Make no mistake: The errors cost him his place in the side. Before kick-off, all he needed to do was get through with his body and reputation unscathed. One out of two didn't count.

While teammate Justin O'Neill and Brisbane's Corey Oates will celebrate their impending debut, Feldt will be the hard-luck story of selection night. He had done all of the work, then tripped at the final step, with Dane Gagai becoming the Steve Bradbury of this year's Maroons.