Being invited to Ricky Stuart's 'Blues in waiting' Origin camp was a good way to remind Alan Tongue how old he is, but the NRL veteran is hoping the recognition will also lead to something more flattering.

Queenslanders have taken glee in the Blues' snubbing of the 30-year-old Canberra lock, boasting that if Tongue were a Maroon, he would have been a permanent fixture in their sides.

But with a new coach on board in Stuart, who has made beating Queensland his full time job, perhaps the tables will finally turn for a man who is as old as Origin itself.

Stuart decided to follow an example set by Mal Meninga and Queensland, by calling an induction camp for players he believes will come into contention for NSW in the seasons ahead.

Some of those have limited Origin experience, others have been on the cusp for a couple of seasons and a handful haven't even played in the NRL.

Tongue is the only club captain in the group and the only man to have played 200 first-grade matches.

With the average age of the 'Blues in waiting' just 23, Tongue will need to seek out Mark Minichiello and Chris Heighington (both 28) if he's desperate for a moment away from Gen Y this weekend at Homebush.

"Oh yeah I do feel a little bit old!" he laughed.

"But that's all good, that's part and parcel of footy and of life.

"I've been lucky enough to play in the NRL for the past 10 or 11 years so that's been great and it reinvigorate you a bit when you're around the young guys and their confidence and to be in this situation is obviously a great opportunity for me."

Despite his vast experience, Tongue isn't expecting he'll be able to pull rank with his younger colleagues.

He admits selection in what traditionally would me a young squad, was more than a little surprising.

"I'm not sure about young guys now, the confidence and the way they handle themselves now, they might be trying to show me a few things," he said.

"I didn't expect it at all actually, I didn't know the camp was going to start but obviously I'm rapt to be here and to get the most out of it.

"I suppose it points out that people are watching and you're in the frame of mind I suppose which is good but I've been in these squads in the past as well. You've just got to let your footy speak for you."

Parramatta young buck Tim Mannah hopes the camp, in addition to his Origin debut last year, will give him a better grounding heading into this year's series.

"Sometimes you go to these things and you wish you were playing a game that weekend just because how excited you get hearing stories and hearing passionate people come in and giving talks," he said.

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