Murray: Edge switch will help, not hinder Origin, Test claims

Cameron Murray has backed his versatility to keep his hard-won representative jerseys as a positional switch puts him head-to-head with NSW stalwarts Boyd Cordner and Wade Graham.

Murray, who finished 2019 as the Dally M lock of the year, is set to line up on the left edge for the Rabbitohs following the retirement of John Sutton.

He has been training outside five-eighth Cody Walker for much of the pre-season at the prompting of coach Wayne Bennett, who is wary of Murray's 93-kilo frame copping a regular battering in his previous position at lock.

Murray rose to NSW and Australian Test honours as one of the game's best middle forwards last year and still expects to switch back to his No.13 role throughout South Sydney's forward rotations.

He anticipates a similar move at representative level too given NSW and Australian skipper Boyd Cordner is a certain starter on the left edge, while Graham has played on the same side in the Cronulla captain's eight Tests and six Origin appearances.

"I'd be comfortable switching back and forth and I think I'll be getting minutes in the middle for Souths as well," Murray told NRL.com.

"I'm not going to limit myself to either position, I'll be playing both and in that Origin arena the versatility always helps.

"Wayne grabbed me a couple of weeks back and asked me if I'd be happy with it. Of course I'm happy with what Wayne sees the team looking like going forward.

"I played plenty of back row growing up, plenty of back row in reserve grade and the 20s too.

"I'm looking forward to a new position. I don't think it'll be too dissimilar to the style of play that I've been playing the last couple of years."

Murray's move out of the middle and the retirements of Sutton and Sam Burgess place more responsibility on big men Tom Burgess, Junior Tatola and Liam Knight, who will get first crack at the red and green No.13 jumper.

Especially considering Queensland Origin gun Jai Arrow won't be arriving until 2021 despite attempts from Souths to secure an early release from the Titans.

Switching to the left will also see Murray tasked with shutting down any targeting of Walker in defence, with the attacking maestro averaging 48.5 missed tackles a season across his four seasons of NRL.

Murray excelled when switched to the centres late last year to mark up on former-Rooster-turned-teammate Latrell Mitchell, and the 22-year-old will draw on advice from Sutton and Burgess around the defensive intricacies of life on the edge.

"A bit of versatility always helps, experience in big games too I think," Murray said.

"But centre is different to back-row and centre's different to lock. They're pretty specific positions that I've got to do reps in training to get my head around it.

"I've got Sammy and Sutto there, Sutto's been there for the last couple of years so I'll look to him for some advice. I'll need to find my niche but I'm confident going into the year."