ENGLAND international Victor Radley has admitted he’s “Aussie through and through” ahead of his State of Origin debut.

Radley is set to come off the New South Wales bench in the series opener against Queensland next Wednesday (May 27) at Accor Stadium in his home city of Sydney.

Previously, any players ineligible to play for Australia – because they had committed to one of the other ‘tier one’ nations, England or New Zealand – could not represent a state.

This was amended in February, allowing Sydney Roosters forward Radley – who failed to earn an Origin appearance before committing to England, the birthplace of his father, in 2022 – to represent New South Wales.

He’s been called up despite sitting out the opening five rounds of the NRL season due to a club-imposed suspension following his involvement in a drug scandal.

That also resulted in him withdrawing from contention for last year’s Ashes series, meaning he is yet to play against the country of his birth,

“I’ve wanted to do this my whole life so I’m super grateful to get the chance,” Radley said of his Origin call-up.

“At the start of the year I had some big goals but they weren’t about Origin – the rule was still in place that I wasn’t able to play.

“When the rule changed, I thought ‘happy days’. It’s funny how it all worked out.

“I’m Aussie through and through. I’m proud of my dad’s side and I’m stoked to play for England, but at the end of the day I’m from Bronte Beach. I love New South Wales and I love Australia.”

Current international eligibility rules mean players cannot switch between tier one nations in the men’s game (although a recent change means women’s stars can), so Radley will remain available only for England.