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NSW prop Daniel Saifiti was as surprised as anyone to see David Klemmer miss out on State of Origin selection, but he says it shows how good the Blues' pack is.
Daniel Saifiti only has to look around State of Origin camp and see who is missing to know the calibre of the NSW pack he is a part of.
Namely, Newcastle teammate and shock Blues omission David Klemmer.
"I think the world of Klem. I wouldn't be where I am today without him," Saifiti told AAP.
"I went from average first grader then the next year he comes in I made Origin. That's not a coincidence. He's got a lot to do with that.
"He's happy for me. He messaged me and said 'enjoy the camp big boy, love ya'.
"He's obviously disappointed, He's played a lot of games but that's just the competitor in him.
"But he understands, he has been around a long time."
By his own admission, Saifiti was as surprised as anyone when Klemmer's name wasn't read out earlier this month.
The duo were one of the best front-row pairings in the NRL this year, with Klemmer the second leading metre-eater of all props behind Payne Haas.
"At the same time (Paul) Vaughany was there last year and he was unlucky to miss out," Saifiti said.
"But you look at the props here. Junior (Paulo), Reagan (Campbell-Gillard), Payne (Haas), all the boys in camp right now.
"I think front-row wise, it's the best NSW has been in a lot of years."
What coach Brad Fittler has done is pick for a 2020-style Origin series.
Saifiti will start at prop alongside Paulo in Wednesday's series opener in Adelaide, with Jake Trbojevic at lock and fellow middles Haas and Cameron Murray on the bench.
According to NRL stats, Trbojevic's play-the-ball speeds are the quickest of regular starting middles in the NRL at 2.86 seconds.
Murray is also one of the best at getting a quick play-the-ball, while Saifiti also finds his stomach better than all other Origin contenders in tackles.
As a group of props they are also able to do damage in the middle against tiring defenders.
Paulo and Haas are not only among the competition's leading offloaders, but they do it with precision.
Of the 79 they threw this year between them in the NRL, only five were considered ineffective.
Paulo in particular is known as being a halfback in a prop's body, regularly passing at the line and leading all front-rowers for try-assists.
It's a facet he is looking forward to pulling out with a representative backline outside him in Wednesday's series opener in Adelaide.
"There is a lot of strike power all over the park from left wing to right wing," Paulo said.
"The boys will be ready to rip in."
