RUGBY UNION: Whitsunday local Ben Harries is set to take on some of the best Union players in the state, having been tapped to represent North Queensland at the weekend.

Tomorrow, Harries heads south for the 2016 Country Championships on the Gold Coast.

The prop was selected after impressing on a recent trip to Cairns with the Mackay Stingers, taking on teams from Townsville, Cairns and Mount Isa. He said it would be "definitely the biggest" platform he's played on and he's been hitting the paddock ahead of the test, making sure to make the most of it.

"I've put in a bit of work to make sure I'm at the best of my abilities when I play on Saturday," he said.

"(The Raiders) do training a couple off times a week and I've been doing my own personal training."

Harries said he was feeling confident heading into the weekend, having heard good things about the NQ side.

"I'm pretty confident that as a team it's going to be a good bunch of boys, so if we all work together it will make me look a bit better as well," he joked.

Having been the only player from the Whitsundays selected in the side, and one of six in the Mackay Rugby Union region, it's a step forward for the young star's career.

"I'm definitely giving it everything, and if it works out, it works out," he said.

"But I would love (to play professionally).

"That would be a great life.

"Anyone who loves rugby would love to make a career out of it."

If he impresses on the Gold Coast there's the potential to take things a step further.

"From this comp they choose the Under 20s Queensland Country team and you go play a season with them," Harries said.

"So that's what I'll be striving for, for sure."

However, the forward said he was stoked to make it as far as he has.

"Especially just coming from Airlie," he said.

"We don't usually have a 19s team going up (to Cairns), so it's just really cool that (Queensland Rugby Union participation officer Rama Chand) has been able to do that for all us boys."