Josh Addo-Carr believes Tevita Pangai Jr's axing from the NSW side may prove a blessing in disguise and that his Canterbury teammate can take comfort from his own rise back into State of Origin calculations this year. Pangai Jr was a surprise call-up for the series opener but struggled on debut and found himself replaced by Stefano Utoikamanu for the must-win Game II. "I rang him after the (Bulldogs' last) game. I thanked him for being in camp last time," Blues coach Brad Fittler said. "We took a lot into consideration and we just thought (Utoikamanu) is the next bloke coming through." Addo-Carr knows first-hand how an Origin axing can sting. The winger fast became a favourite at the selection table as soon as Fittler took the reins in 2018 and played 12 consecutive Origin games. But on his move to struggling Canterbury last season, Addo-Carr was dropped for Game I and only returned to the fray this year. When Pangai Jr heard of his own relegation on Monday, Addo-Carr took his Bulldogs teammate aside to reassure him that there was a path back to Origin for those who can grow from their omission. "I had a good yarn with him," Addo-Carr told AAP. "He's copped it on the chin. He's handled it really well. All he has to do now is go back to clubland and work on what he needs to do." "It's probably a blessing in disguise, I think it's going to make him a better player and a better person and that's what we need." One of the quickest men in the NRL, Addo-Carr had limited opportunities to showcase his wares in the series, running the ball only 11 times and finishing with 108 metres - just over half of the 201 the Blues' other winger Brian To'o managed. But 'The Foxx' will resist the urge to go looking for the ball more in Game II. "It's just business as usual," he said. "We know what we want to do and what kind of game plan we want to do. "We can't dwell on what happened, we're looking forward to Wednesday night." Australian Associated Press
