Ponga's elevation to the Queensland team represents a significant threat to the Blues in State of Origin II, after the Maroons could only penetrate them via an intercept and kick in the series opener.

But Ponga has proven himself to be something else in the NRL this year.

He leads the competition for tackle busts (85) and line-break assists (18), prompting retired Queensland captain Cameron Smith to declare him a must-pick for Origin II.

That dominance has extended into almost every game this year for Ponga, with the notable exception being round 12 against Cronulla where he ran just 66 metres and failed to have an impact via a try or linebreak for himself or one of his teammates.

And Sharks prop Matt Prior - who has been called into the Blues squad for game two - said Cronulla had found the key to shutting the dangerous 20-year-old's attack down the left edge in that match.

"That was a big focus for us, Kalyn Ponga and how good he'd been playing," Prior said.

"We went in there with a plan, every time he had the ball to have numbers around him and pressure him.

"Just don't give him any time, that was the main thing. And it did seem to work."

Where Ponga will line up for Queensland remains an unknown.

If Billy Slater fails to prove his fitness by Wednesday he'll likely start at fullback, otherwise he could come on anywhere in the backline or as a roving man in the middle late.

Prior's own future is also uncertain, with it unclear whether he will work his way into the Blues' 17 for the clash.

Regardless, he said he was ready to help crack the code of shutting down Ponga with his own experience at Cronulla.

"That will be one of our key goals during the week," Prior said.

"He's electric. Coming into this year everyone had massive expectations on him and he has lived up to them and done even more in his first full year in first grade.

"We will probably look at that game and other games that he has been shut down and look at what teams have done well to shut him down."

Australian Associated Press