Jun 10th, 2019

Jun 10th, 2019

Payne Haas's rise to NSW's State of Origin team is providing motivation to Gold Coast prop Moeaki Fotuaika's own representative ambitions.

Haas and Fotuaika played together at Gold Coast rugby league nursery Keebra Park State High School, with the former forcing the young Titans forward to come off the bench during their time together.

On Sunday, Fotuaika had the last laugh over his former schoolmate, helping Gold Coast to a 26-18 NRL win over Haas's Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.

Haas debuted for the Blues in last week's Origin opener in Queensland and that's provided inspiration to Fotuaika as he eyes selection for Tonga's Test against New Zealand in Auckland.

"It definitely motivates myself to see players the same age as yourself making it big," the 19-year-old told AAP.

"It was good to see him (Haas) making his Origin debut.

"When you see that kind of stuff it just makes you want to train harder and try to make representative sides."

In his second season of NRL, Fotuaika's stats are up almost across the board despite the Titans' early-season struggles.

After averaging 80 running metres a game in 2018, that number has increased to 120 metres this season while his 48 post-contact metres per game is second only to Queensland representative Jai Arrow (54) at the Titans in 2019.

It's form that Tonga coach Kristian Woolf has certainly noticed, telling NRL.com Fotuaika was one of 20 names he'd provided to begin flight arrangements for the June 22 Test against the Kiwis.

"Right now I'm just trying to focus on playing good footy and if I get the call to play I'll be stoked," Fotuaika said.

"I feel like I'm playing good footy.

"It's down to Brenno (Titans coach Garth Brennan) and that, they've given me the opportunity to start, play big minutes and I'm enjoying the competition as well; trying to take it with both hands."

©AAP2019