Warriors head of athletic development Balin Cupples said Lillyman was in peak form for the game. 

“His form has been really consistent, he’s probably been the Warriors’ leading forward across this part of the competition. 

“Although parts of the club have been inconsistent, he’s really stood out," Cupples said. 

“He was unlucky to not be part of the first Origin game, but he definitely deserves his shot,” he said. 

Cupples said Lillyman had spent the last week in training camp to gear up for the interstate clash. 

“Obviously they go away for that [Origin] for the week leading up to the game. 

“With Jake being a highly experienced professional, in terms of routines around nutrition, he’s got routines for what he eats each week and most of the players follow that,” Cupples said. 

“The gym training and the field training obviously builds in intensity as the week goes on,” he said. 

Cupples said preparing mentally for a game like State of Origin was essential. 

“The last side to training is probably the mental preparation for a game like that which is a pretty big deal,” he said. 

The match kicks off in Brisbane at 8pm tonight.