It's the PM's pick-me-up that helped wipe out his finals blues.
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Now Emre Guler's hoping it will launch his State of Origin and international careers.
Guler was in Canberra Raiders season-over-commiseration mode when he got the call he'd been picked in the Australia Prime Minster's 13 squad to take on Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby on Saturday, September 23.
He's since been named 19th man for the team, while Raiders teammate Hudson Young's been named in the second row.
Young will face former Queanbeyan Kangaroo Jeremiah Simbiken, who will play second row for PNG.
Guler was down in the dumps after the Green Machine bowed out of the NRL finals race with a 30-28, extra-time loss to Newcastle when Raiders team manager Matt Ford rang to give him the news.
The 25-year-old played for the Junior Kangaroos against France in 2019 alongside an all-star under-23 line-up including Corey Horsburgh, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Kalyn Ponga.
He also represented the Junior Kangaroos when it was an under-19 side back in 2017.
But this is will be his first taste of representative honours at senior level and he hoped it could be a springboard for higher honours with both the NSW Blues and Australia.
"I'd love to. That's something you want to do is play Origin, play for your country so that's something I'd love to do," Guler told The Canberra Times.
"Plenty of hard work and sacrifices ahead and time will tell.
"I played for the Junior Kangaroos [in 2017] and then the under-23s in 2019 so that was probably the last time I played anything like that.
"It was good to be a part of it. Looking forward to it."
Guler played every game this year - the first time he's managed that in his NRL career.
He not only established himself as part of the Raiders middle rotation, but he remained injury free for the entire season.
The prop was gutted by the way the Green Machine's season ended as he felt they were going to win their elimination final against the Knights only to go down in extra-time.
"It was good news. I found out on the Monday so I was a bit surprised just coming off the loss on the Sunday, bit of a rollercoaster, and then hearing that was a bit of a lift," Guler said.
"I'm excited. My first time being a part of something like this. I'm looking forward to going out there, putting my best forward and having a good game for the Aussies.
"I got a call from Fordy and you sort of think the worst, but he said, 'No you can breathe, it's all good'. Then he told me. It was good."
Guler was looking forward to catching up with South Sydney captain Cameron Murray again.
The pair came through the Rabbitohs juniors together, having been born just three days apart.
Guler made his way to Canberra in 2017 and has slowly made himself part of the furniture at Raiders HQ.
"I've played a lot of footy when I was younger with Cameron Murray and a couple of other boys I've played in rep teams with before," he said.
"It's good to link up with Cameron again after so many years apart. It will be good.
MORE RAIDERS NEWS
"Obviously also playing with Hudson. You train with him every day so it will be good to get a game with Hudson."
Guler's an emerging leader of a group of young middles coming through the Raiders' system.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart shifted Guler to the bench in the wake of Josh Papali'i's season-ending biceps injury to add some experience to the bench.
It gave Ata Mariota the chance to start - and shine - in the front row, while Hohepa Puru and Trey Mooney also showed they're players of the future.
"I think it's exciting," he said.
"We've obviously got young boys coming through, but they're fully committed and they're dedicated - the way they live their life off the field and at training you can tell they want to learn and be a part of the squad."
PRIME MINISTER'S 13
Saturday: Australia PM 13 v Papua New Guinea PM 13 at Port Moresby, 4pm.
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