Bulldogs veteran Brett Kimmorley concedes there will always be people in the game who 'hate' the way he plays - but it's a style he hopes will lead to a State of Origin recall.
The 32-year-old has been in tremendous form for the table-topping Dogs this season and looms as a possible replacement for Peter Wallace at half-back in the New South Wales line-up to meet Queensland in Origin III on July 15.
Kimmorley last played for NSW in 2007 and says he is a better footballer two years on - even if some critics remain unconvinced.
"Some people are going to hate that I play a certain style of football, whether I get too much ball, whether I play too flat," Kimmorley said on Wednesday.
"I'm a lot smarter as a footballer. I build a game a lot better, which as a young kid was hard to do because you're a 100-mile-an-hour (player) trying to score off every play."
"The older you get the smarter you get about leading the side around."
Kimmorley has never made any secret of the fact he'd love another crack at the Origin arena.
With the series gone and NSW facing a 3-0 whitewash, the veteran of eight appearances for the Blues is up for the challenge if the selectors want him.
And he is counting on form - and not dates of birth - to be the criterion at the selection table.
"I don't think there are lines through blokes (because of age). They've tried the youth experiment and went away from that in game two," he said.
"The direction they go in game three? How do you know?"
"I've showed this year that it doesn't matter how old you are, if you're enjoying your footy and having fun it's (age) just a figure."
"If I walk off the field and I'm happy, that's cool for me."
"I'm having more fun this year than I've had for a lot of years."
Kimmorley can enhance his chances of a State of Origin call-up with a big game against another NSW hopeful, Manly's Matt Orford, at Brookvale Oval on Monday night.
Time is running out for Orford, who at 31 is yet to play Origin despite leading his club to grand final and world club challenge victories in the past year.
"To play for your state or your country is a massive honour and I've never hidden away from that," Orford said.
"I've said that takes care of itself but obviously I've never been in their plans and that's just how it goes."
Kimmorley said of the man he will meet on Monday night: "Matty Orford's been terrific the last few weeks."
"Since they've got back and are playing better, the amount of Dally M points he's got ... three points every game the last month."