It wasn't that he picked up new positional intricacies in the other code, or developed a stack of transferable skills that weren't a part of his game during his initial stint with the Melbourne Storm.

This was more a lesson in understanding what he had, and rediscovering his passion for the game he truly loved.

"I came back and appreciated rugby league a bit more, I missed it," Chambers said.

"That was the reason I came back. I loved playing rugby union at the time, but I missed playing rugby league and I wanted to be a part of the higher rep sides, playing for Queensland and playing for Australia.

"That was the whole reason why I came back, to get the opportunity to do that. I've been fortunate enough to be able to be selected in the Origin sides and play for Australia."

Chambers played for three years at the Storm before switching codes and had two mixed seasons with the Queensland Reds.

He was released after their Super Rugby-winning season in 2011, having sat on the bench during the final without taking the field.

A short spell in Irish rugby followed before Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy welcomed Chambers back to the fold and the Storm star's stocks rose rapidly.

An NRL premiership followed later that year and by 2014 Chambers was a Queensland State Of Origin player for then coach Mal Meninga, who has long been an admirer.

Meninga now coaches Australia and Chambers was one of the first picked in his 24-man World Cup squad. He didn't play in Saturday's three-way warm-up match against Fiji and Papua New Guinea - Chambers, Storm teammates Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater, and North Queensland Cowboy Michael Morgan were rested - but he is expected to play a major role when the World Cup kicks off on October 27 against England in Melbourne.

Ask Meninga which position in the NRL lacks the most depth and he will immediately point to the dearth of genuine centres.

Indeed, Chambers was the only out-and-out centre who played in the Origin decider this year.

He was partnered by Morgan, a half at club level, while the Blues were served by Josh Dugan and Jarryd Hayne, who are both fullbacks at heart.

"For a long time there centres were all about speed," Chambers said. "You look at your Steve Renoufs, he was lightning, electric, but it's changing now.

"The outside backs seem to be bigger bodies than what they have been in the past and it's not all about speed. You've got to help the forwards coming out with red-zone carries and stuff like that - it's important to getting your sets started.

"The game is changing, but it will always evolve, and it'll go back to speed at some stage. I just enjoy the way I play and I'm very lucky with the players that I've had around me to help me evolve - the likes of Cam [Smith], Coops [Cooper Cronk] and Bill [Billy Slater], and the coach that we've got in Bellyache [Craig Bellamy] have made sure that I don't fall behind with the game evolving.

"Mal has helped me throughout when I was playing Origin and now playing for Australia. He's always pep-talked me and talked to me about what was needed come the weekend or what was needed come game day.

"It has changed the position and I think it will change again at some stage."