During a successful four years across the ditch, he reached a grand final in 2011 before the Roosters came knocking.
"I've been around all right, but it's helped me get to where I am and, every club I've been to, I've learned something," Maloney said.
Although the June 5 opener at ANZ Stadium will be his Origin debut, Maloney enjoyed a small taste when he skippered the NSW residents.
He made his debut in 2008 and kicked four goals in a 24-16 win and, a year later, skippered the side and scored all of their points in a 34-6 loss.
Both games were played at Suncorp Stadium and Maloney said the experience was invaluable.
"It gave me a bit of a taste, but this will be a massive step up," he said. "The crowd up there were pretty hostile and that was just for the curtain raiser but it was good to play in that kind of environment."
Maloney credits his good form to becoming a father young and admitted he didn't always help himself with how he behaved away from the field.
"It's a case of happy off the field, happy on it," he said.
"They have had a calming effect on me instead of running around and acting like a goose which is what I used to do.
"It is nice to share the success with them when you are settled and things are going well off the field - it all correlates."
- AAP
