NRL 2022: Queensland State of Origin coach Billy Slater denies he is taking a risk coaching Maroons
Queensland legend Billy Slater has taken on one of the toughest jobs in rugby league in trying to bring down the red-hot NSW Blues, but he doesn’t see it that way.
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Queensland legend Billy Slater has lashed suggestions he is risking his professional coaching career by taking charge of the Maroons against one of the greatest New South Wales teams in Origin history.
Slater is only five weeks away from naming his first Maroons team for the 2022 State of Origin series opener against the Blues in Sydney on June 8.
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It has been seven months since Slater was appointed Maroons coach for the next two years, replacing Paul Green following Queensland’s disastrous 2021 campaign.
The Maroons suffered 50-6 and 26-0 defeats on the way to surrendering the shield to NSW, with the Blues having now won three of the past four series.
If not for the miraculous 2020 series win under Wayne Bennett, Queensland would be mired in its worst Origin rut in the concept’s 42-year history.
While Queensland has been scratching around for players in recent years, the Blues have been buoyed by NRL superstars like Tom Trbojevic, Latrell Mitchell and Nathan Cleary, who could torment the Maroons for another decade in the Origin arena.
But that doesn’t faze Slater — a 31-game Maroons great whose incredible try in the 2004 series remains one of Origin’s most memorable moments.
The Origin gig will be Slater’s first taste of head coaching at the elite level, with some believing he is risking his future by taking on the Blues juggernaut.
But Slater doesn’t see it that way, insisting he has a duty to help Queensland regain the Origin shield regardless of his experience.
“I don’t look at it like a risk,” he told The Sunday Mail.
“If you don’t have a go at something you will never know. If you never try, you will never know. If I never took a risk I wouldn’t be sitting in the position I am now.
“I still remember the decision I made to drive a car down to Brisbane (from Innisfail to trial with Norths Devils for a contract with Melbourne). I took a risk.
“If you never take a risk you will never succeed because you will never know. I’m not worried about that.
“The reason I took this opportunity is because it’s important to me. This has been a big part of my life ever since I can remember.
“I still have my first State of Origin jersey from when I was eight years old. I’ve got it with me now. It means something to me.
“That’s why I’m here in the position I am.”
Slater, 38, has transferred his playing brilliance into his post-football career.
The 319-game Melbourne Storm legend is a respected commentator and skills coach who has multiple corporate ambassadorial roles.
He could live a comfortable life cashing in on his profile without the pressure of coaching in league’s toughest arena, but that wasn’t enough for the fiercely competitive Slater.
When the Queensland Rugby League reached out to Slater after the 2021 series loss he felt obliged to help his beloved Maroons, even if some believe he isn’t experienced enough for the role.
“It’s irrelevant,” Slater said of opinions.
“I work in the media and understand how it works, but what I say here now is totally irrelevant and what other people say is irrelevant.
“My job is to help our best players be at their best. That is my priority.
“People’s opinions, and even my opinion, are irrelevant. It’s my actions that will eventually create the answer, which is exciting.”
After making his Origin debut in 2004, Slater played a key role in Queensland’s decade of dominance under Mal Meninga, in which the Maroons won nine of 10 series from 2006-15.
He formed formidable combinations with Storm teammates Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk for the Maroons along with North Queensland great Johnathan Thurston.
Those relationships have helped Slater recruit Smith, Origin’s greatest ever player with 42 games, to assist him along with Thurston, who is staying involved in the Queensland setup.
Slater has recruited respected assistant coach Josh Hannay and spent the past few months meeting with Queensland eligible players across the eastern seaboard as he plots this year’s series assault.
With games in Sydney and Perth (June 26) to start the series, the Maroons will have their backs against the wall before the finale at Suncorp Stadium on July 13.
But Slater has been there before as a player. He knows what works, and what doesn’t, in State of Origin and is determined to have Queensland’s best players firing on game night.
“It’s a balance around enjoyment, togetherness and a good environment but the footy is the priority,” he said.
“What are we here for? This team means a great deal to Queensland and the Queensland people. It inspired me growing up and inspires a lot of Queenslanders, whether they play rugby league or not.
“That is really important to focus on and remember. There is a reason why we get the opportunity to play in front of big crowds and have so much attention.
“The atmosphere is unrivalled and there’s a reason for that. It’s important to acknowledge that, understand that and show our respect for it. The history of State of Origin is so important.
“It’s a fresh start for me. We’ve got a new coaching staff that will bring some ideas. I’m not going to dive into last year a whole heap.
“Our job is to get our best players playing their best football for that 80 minutes. That’s our focus rather than focusing on what hasn’t worked.”
Slater and his selectors will gather in Brisbane on May 29 to select their Game One team.
‘X-factor’ Cowboys on Slater’s Origin radar
Maroons coach Billy Slater has confirmed Cowboys weapons Heilum Luki and Jeremiah Nanai are on his Origin radar ahead of a tantalising back row battle with Gold Coast Queenslanders David Fifita and Beau Fermor.
The duel on the edges at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday night will be one to watch when the resurgent Cowboys host the Titans.
On one side is Luki and Nanai, the Cowboys duo who have quickly become two of the NRL’s hottest back-row prospects.
Nanai, 19, has scored five tries in six games this season, including a hat-trick against the Broncos, while Luki, 21, has busted 13 tackles and is a star in the making.
While they boast just 27 games of NRL experience between them, the Cowboys duo have been tipped for higher honours and are firmly in the sights of new Maroons coach Slater following North Queensland’s impressive start to the season.
“The back row position is starting to accumulate some depth,” Slater said.
“The two backrowers at the Cowboys – Nanai and Luki – have got big futures in the game.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing their careers develop and how they work their way into possibly becoming Origin players.”
Nanai and Luki set to come up against Fermor and Fifita, unless the latter makes a late shift to centre.
Fifita, 22, has already made five Origin appearances for Queensland while the skilful and speedy Fermor met with Slater recently as part of the coach’s Maroons preparations.
Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo has been watching Nanai and Luki develop and believes they are on track to represent Queensland.
“I can definitely see them playing Origin,” he said. “Queensland has been blessed with great forwards over the years and these two are another example of how good their stocks are.
“The best part about them is they’re still young and have a lot to learn.
“The way they’ve been carrying themselves on their edge, and doing it at a professional level, shows how mature these guys are for their age.
“They are both X-factors. Jeremiah can pull anything out of a hat. He has been a try-scoring freak. On the other hand, ‘H’ (Luki) is a big strong kid who eventually will be like Dave Fifita and break tackles for fun.
“I get a front-row seat watching them develop and fulfil their potential. I’m glad to be part of it.”
The Cowboys have some of the NRL’s hottest young prospects coming through their ranks.
The likes of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Murray Taulagi, Griffin Neame and Reuben Cotter are just a few of the gun youngsters starting to shine in Townsville.
Titans coach Justin Holbrook is aware of the threat their back rowers possess and said the clash would be a test for the Gold Coast, who have been starting games poorly.
“They’ve got some strike players like Taumalolo, Val Holmes and (Scott) Drinkwater,” he said. “They’ve got some big backrowers now. They’ve got a really athletic and powerful side who are playing really well. It will be a really good test for us.”
Slater’s shock warning for Origin stars
Maroons coach Billy Slater has dropped an Origin bombshell after declaring no Queenslander was guaranteed selection following last year’s series shocker.
Slater has wasted no time putting Queensland’s State of Origin prospects on notice ahead of his debut series as Maroons mentor.
The Maroons endured one of their worst series defeats in Origin’s 42-year history last season as the red-hot Blues ran rampant in 50-6 and 26-0 thrashings to regain the shield.
While Queensland avoided a clean-sweep with a gutsy 20-18 win in Game Three, the series was an overall disaster following the memorable against-the-odds victory of 2020.
After replacing one-series coach Paul Green, Slater has been keeping a close eye on the state’s Origin prospects and will name his Game One team in five weeks for the series-opener at Accor Stadium in Sydney on June 8.
Slater has been buoyed by the career-best form of halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster, but the 31-game Queensland legend has challenged the Maroons contenders to prove they are worthy of selection.
“There are no positions locked in,” Slater told News Corp.
“I’m really enjoying what some of our more experienced Origin players have been doing on the field, but also in those positions are some other players playing really good football.
“I really enjoy watching all our Queenslanders play. In terms of locking people away in positions, that’s not something I’ve been doing.
“A lot of decisions get taken out of your hands come selection time. You can have your wish list but at the end of the day you’ve got to wait until 6pm on Sunday the 29th of May to get all of your cards on the table.
“At the end of the day the players will decide who wants to play for Queensland. If they get a jersey on the 8th of June they will have earnt it.
“It’s their actions which will tell myself and the selectors whether they deserve and want to be there.”
The ultimate competitor as a player, Slater has assembled an all-star coaching staff including fellow Queensland greats Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston to lead a Maroons revival following three series losses in the past four years.
He is determined to give the Maroons every chance of victory against a NSW team headlined by NRL stars Tom Trbojevic and Nathan Cleary and hasn’t ruled any Queenslanders out of contention.
While the likes of Cherry-Evans, Munster and Harry Grant could be considered certain selections, Slater has been buoyed by the emergence of Queensland’s next generation of talent.
The Maroons have rich playmaking stocks with reigning Dally M rookie-of-the-year Sam Walker (Roosters) and Cowboys pivot Tom Dearden starting the season strongly.
There are also some gun fullback contenders in Kalyn Ponga (Knights), Reece Walsh (Warriors) and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (Cowboys) to go with those playing other positions for their clubs in AJ Brimson (Titans) and Valentine Holmes (Cowboys).
Slater said he would look to usher in fresh talent with the NRL set to approve squads of up 22 players to combat Covid concerns.
“Sam Walker has been great, Tom Dearden has had a really good start to the season, even Toby Sexton has done some nice things at the Gold Coast,” Slater said.
“I’m sure the NRL will allow us to take in a small squad of around 20-22 players. Watching how things are unfolding with players pulling out of NRL games, it can change really quickly.
“We’re going to have the opportunity to give younger players a chance to be involved in that environment and feel that build-up.”
While the likes of Munster and Cherry-Evans have had the ball on a string of late, Slater is more focused on the other part of the game.
He wants his Queensland team to be built on effort and attitude, particularly in defence, and will be looking for players that fit the Maroons ethos.
“The big thing is consistent actions that you want to see from a Queensland Origin player, which gives you confidence you’re going to get that under pressure,” he said.
“We all know the pressure is going to be greater, there is more of it and it stays there for longer in Origins. If you’re consistently handling that pressure and performing actions under that pressure in the NRL, then you’re going to give yourself the best chance to do that under the pressure of Origin.
“I look at a lot of stuff when the football is not near our players. That’s probably more important to me than when the football is in their vicinity.
“You watch the game and players in a different way when you’re looking at it from my point of view. They are the things I look for.”
EXCLUSIVE: ‘I WANT TO FOLLOW JT’: COWBOY’S CALL ON MAROONS-NZ TUG OF WAR
—Peter Badel
The Maroons struck another representative blow with Cowboys sensation Jeremiah Nanai outlining his dream to emulate Johnathan Thurston by pledging his allegiance to Queensland.
Breaking his silence on his representative future, Nanai told News Corp he has formally committed to Queensland in a huge coup for the Maroons in the lead-up to this year’s State of Origin series.
New Queensland coach Billy Slater is certain to watch Nanai closely when the Cowboys young gun goes head-to-head with Maroons back-row hulk David Fifita in Saturday’s clash against the Titans in Townsville.
Rated the Cowboys’ best young forward prospect since Jason Taumalolo, the 19-year-old Nanai has started the 2022 season with a bang, scoring five tries from six games, including a hat-trick against the Broncos.
Such was Nanai’s sizzling form, the Auckland-born whiz-kid received an approach from New Zealand coach Michael Maguire with a view to picking him for the World Cup later this year.
But Nanai politely declined the interest from the Kiwis as he sets his sights on following in the footsteps of Cowboys champion Thurston by pulling on the Queensland jumper in the code’s toughest arena.
Under Origin eligibility rules, Nanai arrived in Queensland from New Zealand in the nick of time, moving to Cairns with his family just before his 13th birthday.
“I have made my decision. I want to play for the Maroons, 100 per cent,” Nanai said.
“I’m glad I moved to Cairns when I was young enough (to be eligible for Queensland). Hopefully I do get the opportunity one day to play Origin for Queensland.
“There was interest from the Kiwis but I loved watching the big stars like ‘JT’ (Thurston), Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith.
“When they were in the Queensland team, it was great seeing them win year after year and knowing Thurston is a Cowboys legend, I want to follow in his footsteps and pull on that Queensland jumper.
“JT comes to training and I just take any tips from him I can because he is a legend of the game.
“My favourite Origin player was Greg Inglis (former Maroons captain and centre). He was just a freak, so strong and talented. I was always in awe of how good he was in big games.
“I would love to run onto Suncorp Stadium and give it to the Blues fellas.”
Nanai has showcased a sublime array of ball skills just 10 games into his NRL career and he attributes it to many years spent copying NRL and All Blacks legend Sonny Bill Williams in the backyard.
“My idol was Sonny Bill Williams, he is still my hero now,” he said.
“I loved the way he played. I liked his running game, his offloads, his flick passes. He had a step on him and he was the hit man in defence, so he had everything you would want as a football player.
“As a kid, I loved watching his game. I have five brothers and we would play backyard footy. We had a massive backyard and I would try to be like Sonny Bill with his passes.
“My skills really come from all the years playing in the backyard with my brothers. I was always outside passing and running and playing touch.
“When we moved to Cairns, my dad didn’t want me playing rugby league for any club teams. My cousin told my dad let’s put him into a club and let him have a game. So we signed up and I loved it from the start.
“I’m glad I was allowed to play the game because it’s taken me all the way to the NRL.”
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