Willie Mason demanded Braith Anasta be installed as NSW State of Origin five-eighth after the pair combined to lead the Sydney Roosters to a thumping 30-4 NRL win over Canberra tonight.
While Anasta said he was tired of worrying about the ongoing selection debate, Mason tonight implored the Blues to pick his clubmate ahead of Australian five-eighth Greg Bird for the series opener against Queensland in Sydney on May 21.
Anasta continued his career-best form to dominate the error-riddled Raiders in the five-try rout at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The Roosters pivot booted two towering bombs which led directly to tries and barged over for his own five-pointer in the 16th minute as the home side raced to a 22-0 halftime lead.
They took the foot off the gas in a timid second half, but the damaged had been done before the break.
Anasta rated his 2008 form the best of his career, but he is still likely to be overlooked by Blues selectors on Tuesday, with Kangaroos star Bird tipped to be picked in the No.6 jersey.
But Mason, who teamed with Bird in last night's Centenary Test, believes the Cronulla utility should play lock and Anasta be handed the playmaking duties and "dominate" an Origin series.
"If they're going to go with the strongest side possible, they've got to go with Braith at five-eighth and Birdy at lock," Mason said.
"I think Birdy is a lock and I think if you ask Birdy he thinks he is a lock.
"(Bird) is not a natural five-eighth, Braith is a five-eighth and has been playing it for years.
"More than ever now, (Anasta's) experience will show. He has matured more as a player and I think he is ready to not only play Origin but step it up and dominate an Origin series."
Anasta, however, refuses to get carried away with any talk of rep football.
"I sort of set myself a goal every year now not to worry about it, It just does your head in really," he said.
"I've played over 150 games and I am playing the best I have in over 150 games consistently.
"There is not much more I can do."
Roosters coach Brad Fittler said Anasta would be in his NSW 17, if not at five-eighth then as the bench utility.
"He can play a lot of positions so if I had to pick my top 17 for NSW, he would be in," said Fittler.
"He is big, he hits hard and is good in defence, can come up with big plays and has got a great boot."
Talk of Anasta's possible Origin exclusion overshadowed the starring role of Mason, who showed no Centenary Test hangover with his most productive game in the red, white and blue.
He helped set up Mitchell Aubusson's second try of the night with another barnstorming run.
Centre Sia Soliola scored the Roosters' other first-half try, Raiders centre Joel Monaghan gave his side a sniff by scoring shortly after the break before Mark O'Meley sealed the result with his own four-pointer nearing the final siren.
It was a horrendous night for the Raiders, hooker Lincoln Withers becoming the third Canberra player to suffer a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear in his knee and utility Marshall Chalk breaking his thumb.
"Our problem has been unforced errors and we made plenty of them again today," said Raiders coach Neil Henry.
"It was probably fortunate that the Roosters turned the ball over a bit in the second half really. They might have put some more points on us."
Roosters forward Nate Myles limped off in the 45th minute with a right ankle injury but it should not rule him out of Queensland Origin selection, while skipper Craig Fitzgibbon lost his mouth plate and could not recover it after searching the ground on fulltime.
"I lost the plate that holds my front teeth in. I can't afford to lose front teeth. I've lost my hair and everything else so I can't go without teeth," said Fitzgibbon.
