Overlooked Indigenous State of Origin candidates continued to show up New South Wales selectors across the weekend on the back of scintillating performances for their clubs.
Dashing wingers Alex Johnston and Josh Addo-Carr broke through rival defences to lead the tryscoring while Johnson's teammate Latrell Mitchell proved crucial to victory against Addo-Carr's former side.
The trio's absenteeism from the Blues' outfit that failed to fire had angered Anaiwan man Dean Widders, the retired 159-game veteran.
"Some of these boys should have been there," he said on NITV's Over The Black Dot.
"I am just bewildered how these Indigenous boys weren't in there."
Addo-Carr piled on three of the opening five tries to lay the foundation for the Bulldogs' 36-26 home win over Gold Coast on Sunday.
The Gunggandji, Birrbay and Wiradjuri man backed up Matt Burton's line break to score in the 4th minute, but it was the blistering runs on 90-metre intercepts in the 23rd and 45th minutes which lit up the stadium.
Burly Torres Strait Islander David Fifita showed agility on a Titans' kick and chase to bounce onto the end of the ball in the 38th minute.
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For South Sydney, Johnston finished off everything Mitchell started in his side's 24-12 win over Melbourne.
The Torres Strait Islander first stepped outside a rival to put the ball down inside the corner in the 27th minute and scored similarly off a mesmerising inside flick, again from his Birrbay and Wiradjuri playmaker.
The latest double on Saturday night has pushed Johnston out to 21 tries for the year.
The feats of Brent Naden, playing for his third club inside 13 games, on Sunday were overshadowed in the Wests Tigers' controversial 27-26 defeat against North Queensland in Townsville.
The bunker review for a last-second penalty over a suspected block running for a high ball resulted in Valentine Holmes booting the winning two-pointer.
Naden had replied to an opening-minute Cowboys try to set the Tigers on their way when the Wiradjuri man ran onto an overlap pass to find the line in the 10th minute.
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He again was forced to lead a fightback after the visitors let a 12-point lead slip to trail by seven, the winger scoring in the corner from a cut out pass from Bundjalung and Yaegl man Dane Laurie.
Canberra survived to claim a 26-14 victory over New Zealand Warriors, but only after Wiradjuri man Jack Wighton set up the Raiders' first and third tries from one of two magical 40-20 kicks after half-time in response to dragging back a 14-nil deficit.
The second try for the hosts came from an around-the-corner pass from Birri Gubba, Gungganayii and Torres Strait Islander Xavier Savage setting up Sebastian Kris, the dynamic Torres Strait Island centre, to sneak over in the 59th minute.
Edrick Lee's second late Newcastle try of the night would prove little consolation in a 42-12 defeat to Sydney Roosters on Friday.
The Roosters found the line eight times before the Torres Strait Islander barged over in the 76th minute to the relief of the Knights' home supporters.
Story by Andrew Mathieson
