LIVE: Ponga returns despite early HIA scare

Parramatta guardant J'maine Hopgood has enactment himself successful Origin contention aft different beardown show for the Eels successful their daze triumph implicit Souths.

The 24-year-old has developed into 1 of the champion fastener forwards successful the opening 3 months of the play aft joining the Eels from Penrith.

Hopgood was everyplace for the Eels connected Friday night, signaling 108 metres, 4 offloads and 38 tackles successful his archetypal 80-minute crippled since Round 1.

With Josh Papalii's abrupt retirement, Queensland volition request immoderate caller humor and Hopgood's sanction has been mentioned arsenic a imaginable bolter.

"I haven't spoken to Billy, and it's not thing I effort to deliberation excessively overmuch about," Hopgood said aft the win.

"The lone mode I deliberation astir it is however overmuch it would mean to maine if I was capable to bash that.

"Twelve weeks ago, if you'd person said that to maine past I would person laughed astatine you. To beryllium capable to conscionable accidental that radical are saying it is an accomplishment successful itself.

"I conscionable privation to spell retired and play each week for Parra and bash this jersey arrogant first. If I ever got the accidental to deterioration that (Queensland) jersey past that would beryllium thing antithetic and thing precise peculiar for me.

"Even conscionable to beryllium mentioned is simply a bully capable thing."