Pressure has a way of overwhelming even the game’s biggest stars, but if there’s one thing New South Wales has quickly learnt about Ethan Strange, it’s that the 21-year-old simply doesn’t get rattled.
Whether it’s making his State of Origin debut at the last minute, being dropped back to the bench or preparing for another winner-takes-all decider at Suncorp Stadium, Strange has approached every challenge with the same calm attitude that has helped him become one of the NRL’s brightest young talents.
While fans and commentators have spent weeks debating whether he should wear the No.6 jersey ahead of Mitchell Moses, Strange has largely ignored the outside noise.
Instead, he’s focused on something much simpler.
Playing football.
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“I just try not to think about it too much,” Strange said this week as speculation around his role for Origin III continued. “I just enjoy coming into camp, learning from the older boys and doing my job.”
It’s an attitude that has impressed everyone inside the Blues camp.
Veteran hooker Api Koroisau recently described Strange as “so humble and quiet”, revealing the young Raider spends more time sleeping than stressing during camp.
“He’s so humble and quiet,” Koroisau said. “We’re rooming together… He sleeps a lot but these kids need their sleep to grow.”
That laid-back personality has become one of Strange’s greatest strengths.
When Mitchell Moses was ruled out on the eve of Origin I, most 21-year-olds would have been overwhelmed by the pressure of replacing an experienced representative half.
Strange wasn’t.
He scored a try, helped inspire the Blues’ comeback victory and immediately looked like he belonged on rugby league’s biggest stage.
The Canberra playmaker has built a reputation for handling big moments throughout his career.
Back in 2023, he was called into the NSW Under-19 Origin side at late notice, switched to the unfamiliar position of centre and responded by scoring a hat-trick while earning Player of the Match honours.
It’s no surprise Ricky Stuart has so much faith in him.
Since making his NRL debut in 2023, Strange has developed into one of Canberra’s most important players, playing more than 50 first-grade games before his 22nd birthday while helping establish the Raiders as genuine premiership contenders.
Whether he starts or comes off the bench in the Origin decider is almost beside the point.
The Blues already know they have a player capable of handling the biggest occasions.
More importantly, they have someone who doesn’t appear to realise just how big those occasions are.
In a sport where pressure can consume careers, Ethan Strange’s greatest asset might not be his running game, passing or defence.
It might simply be his ability to stay calm while everyone else is losing theirs.
And that’s exactly the type of player New South Wales will continue building its future around.
