Josh Jackson may be a Test incumbent but the Bulldogs back-rower does not feel he deserves a spot in the Kangaroos squad when the side is announced on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jackson played off the bench in the Kangaroos' Four Nations loss last November after making his representative debut earlier in the tournament. He could be one of up to eight players from Australia's loss to New Zealand who could miss out on the annual mid-season Test.
Jackson, Bulldogs teammate David Klemmer, Boyd Cordner, Josh Papalii and backs including Josh Mansour, Daly Cherry-Evans, Dylan Walker and Sione Mata'utia could lose their spots having been part of the Kangaroos defeat.
Paul Gallen, Luke Lewis, Glenn Stewart and Ryan Hoffman all missed the Four Nations final but are back-row options for coach Tim Sheens to join the likes of Sam Thaiday, Greg Bird and Corey Parker.
"I'm not really thinking about it at all," Jackson said. "[I'm] just concentrating on [the Bulldogs]. I would imagine [the experienced Test players] would come back in. They have done a great job over a long period of time. They deserve the right to be there."
If Jackson is overlooked for a Test spot he will almost certainly add to his two Country Origin appearances. Jackson rated his start to the season as patchy, as he looks to press for a debut NSW jersey.
"A little bit slow," Jackson said. "Playing a few different positions, so I'm not probably where I want to be.
"There are still a lot of great players running around who are eligible for [NSW] selection. Players have been in good form. I'm not thinking about that at the moment, it's still a while away yet."
While Jackson's Test ambitions remain uncertain, so too do the hopes of teammates Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson of retaining their NSW spots. Jackson said the pair had been blamed for the Bulldogs' inconsistent start to the year.
"They have been in decent form and deserve the right [to keep their spot]," Jackson said. "Because the team has been inconsistent, maybe it's been put down to them. You can't put it down to two players. Maybe they've copped the brunt of that. It's a little bit unfair.
"We are really happy with how they are going. They lead us around the park every week."
The Bulldogs are preparing to play the Tigers for the second time in just four weeks when they go head to head on Friday night. Canterbury produced a second half 18-point comeback to beat the Tigers via a Moses Mbye golden point field goal.
"It's bizarre playing them," Jackson said. "They are a great team with a good forward pack. You have to match their energy up front and try and limit that go forward. It'll be a tough job."
