Prince moves on from Origin snub

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Gold Coast Titans halfback Scott Prince says he is trying to put the frustration of missing out on the Queensland State of Origin team behind him.

Prince was widely tipped to join Johnathan Thurston in the halves when Darren Lockyer was ruled out with injury, but the selectors named Broncos fullback Karmichael Hunt at five-eighth.

Prince says he had hoped the selectors would give him another chance at Origin level.

"I was quietly confident that I might get an opportunity but it wasn't to be," he said.

"I had a feeling something like this might happen and it has, so yeah, very disappointed."

North Queensland forward Jacob Lillyman, who will come off the bench for the Maroons, has defended the decision of Queensland selectors to pick Hunt at number six.

He says Hunt and Queensland half-back Johnathan Thurston played junior football together and will gel well both on and off the field.

"They're very good mates and they have a pretty strong bond and have actually played a lot of footy together, so they are very comfortable with each other's games," he said.

"Karmichael is probably underrated as a ball player and he's certainly very dangerous."