Lam, whose father Adrian is a member of Mal Meninga's Australian coaching staff, and Sailor, the son of dual international Wendell Sailor, have been selected in the Queensland Under 18s team to play the curtain-raiser before next Wednesday night's second State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium. Bound by blood: Tristan Sailor, son of dual international Wendell, has pledged his allegiance to Queensland on the new father-son rule for Origin. Credit:Adam McLean AMZ Both were raised in NSW and played all their junior football in the state, with Lam being a Clovelly Crocodiles junior and Sailor learning the game with Wests Devils in the Illawarra competition. Sailor, a member of the Illawara Steelers team which qualified for this year's SG Ball grand final, will play for NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Under 18s team at July's National Schoolboys Championships in Brisbane but is now officially tied to Queensland for State of Origin purposes. Lam, who was born in the eastern suburbs and plays halfback for Sydney Roosters SG Ball team, has previously represented both Queensland and NSW but can now only be considered for Maroons selection as under 18s is considered the age group when representative eligibility becomes formalised.

Undoubtedly, if either of the pair fulfil predictions that they will play Origin in coming seasons it will provide another verse for Denis Carnahan's song That's In Queensland, which pokes fun at the selection of players born or raised outside the state who have played for the Maroons, headed by Greg Inglis. That's in Queensland: Greg Inglis' decision to play for Queensland, despite growing up in Bowraville, is a sore topic for NSW fans. Credit:Getty Images Former Queensland star Julian O'Neill's son Ethan also wants to play for the Maroons, despite growing up in Sydney's eastern suburbs and representing both states in under 16s teams last year. Ironically, the father-son rule by which Lam and Sailor qualify for the Maroons was introduced in 2013 as part of revised Origin eligibility laws after ongoing complaints from Blues fans and officials over Inglis being able to represent Queensland, despite hailing from Bowraville on the NSW North Coast. However, it is a rule some believe will give the Maroons a continued advantage after winning nine of the past 10 Origin series because NSW players are less likely to have sons raised in Queensland who grow up to represent the Blues due to the fact most NRL clubs are based in Sydney.

Adrian Lam moved from Brisbane in 1994 to play for the Roosters and was a member of Wayne Bennett's coaching staff at St George Illawarra from 2009 to 2011. Coincidentally, Bennett was also responsible for Sailor joining the Dragons in 2008 after moving to Sydney two years earlier to play Super Rugby for the Waratahs and he has lived in Wollongong since. Without the father-son rule, Lachlan Lam and Tristan Sailor would be eligible for NSW - just as Mat Rogers represented Queensland even though his father Steve was a Blues legend. Many good judges predict the 18-year-olds could form part of a future Queensland team that could dominate Origin for years to come, with the likes of Milford, Brisbane halves partner Ben Hunt, Roosters prop Dylan Napa, Melbourne fullback Cameron Munster and Cronulla winger Valentine Holmes all certain to push for selection next season once their 12 month ban for breaking curfew at an Emerging Maroons camp expires.