Queensland coach Billy Slater just wants to see Kalyn Ponga "smiling and having fun" when he returns from a six-week absence for Newcastle against North Queensland on Saturday.
The incumbent Maroons fullback sustained his fourth concussion in 10 months against Wests Tigers in round two and will play in the No.6 jersey against the Cowboys in Townsville.
Before being cleared to return to action the 25-year-old travelled to Canada where he received an advanced neurological assessment.
Ponga played the best game of his seven-match State of Origin career at fullback in the 22-12 series deciding win over NSW last year.
Given the strong performances of Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh and Dolphins custodian Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to start the season, and the likely availability of Ponga now, Slater was asked who his fullback would be in the May 31 series opener in Adelaide.
"I don't have a view right now. If you have a view five weeks before selection, that can change so much in many different ways," Slater told AAP.
"My job in the first 12 weeks is to watch every single Queenslander in the NRL intently ... and give the Queensland people their best team. (The players) determine what the team looks like.
"It is really premature especially with Kalyn's situation. He has played one game in 10 months. He's just got to get back and play footy and enjoy his footy."
Slater said he understood the difficulties Ponga had encountered in recent times with his playing absence.
"It has been a frustrating period for him because he wouldn't have felt injured," "he said.
"To sit out all this time and have such so much commentary, and uneducated commentary around it, it would be really hard to cancel that external noise out.
"So I just hope Kalyn comes back and enjoys himself. I just want to see him smiling and having fun. At the end of the day it is a game."
Playing five-eighth for his club will have no impact on Slater's view of Ponga at the selection table as a fullback.
Many Maroons over the years have played in different positions in Origin to the ones they were playing in club land. Tabuai-Fidow can play any position in the outside backs while Queensland regular Dane Gagai is equally at home at wing or in the centres.
"I haven't got an issue playing someone in a position that they don't regularly play in their club team if they have given me enough trust and confidence that they can do the job there," Slater said.
