Maroon’s million-dollar question answered: Reece Walsh, Kalyn Ponga unleashed

Reece Walsh. Kalyn Ponga. It’s the one-two magic act that could help the mighty Maroons conjure up another famous Queensland triumph in a Suncorp decider. Here’s how it’ll work.

Queensland State of Origin players Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh at Suncorp Stadium ahead of the decider. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Dally M superstar Kalyn Ponga is primed to bamboozle the Blues in a one-two magic act with Reece Walsh to orchestrate another famous Queensland triumph in a Suncorp decider.

Ponga says he once dreamed of playing alongside Walsh and now his wish is granted with the sizzling strike weapons to team up in Maroon for the first time in Origin III on Wednesday night.

Walsh has retained the Queensland No.1 jumper, while Ponga returns to the Maroons side as their bench super sub for his first Origin game since his match-winning heroics at Suncorp two years ago.

Ponga unleashed a Blues blitzkrieg in the 2022 decider, scoring a try and amassing 247 metres, 25 runs, 15 tackle busts, two line breaks and four offloads in one of the most dominant individual displays in Origin history.

Queensland coach Billy Slater plans to deploy the Walsh-Ponga attacking alliance at some stage of Origin III and Maroons legend Cameron Smith believes the duo could rip the Blues apart.

Queensland fullback Reece Walsh at Suncorp Stadium ahead of the decider. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“Kalyn is the type of player, when he gets the ball in his hands, you are on eggshells as a defender,” said radio SEN analyst Smith, Origin’s most-capped player with 42 appearances.

“Ponga puts fear into you.

“If you go back to the 2022 decider in Brisbane, he was the best player on the field. He is one game back from a pretty long layoff (with a foot injury).

“Ponga had some unbelievable touches last week (for his club side Newcastle against Canberra), some of the work he did in the backfield was outstanding.

“I think Billy was umming and ahhing about having another ruck forward given he has Harry Grant on the bench, but he wanted Ponga, who is the X-factor game breaker for the Maroons.”

Ponga missed the entire 2023 series for Queensland due to his concussion battle, but Newcastle’s $6 million man has no fears handling the high-octane brutality of the Origin arena.

For the past two years, one key Maroons narrative has been the battle for the Queensland fullback spot. Does Slater opt for Walsh or Ponga? He likes the look of both in his top 17.

Ponga is not only relishing his return to the Origin arena, but the damage he can inflict working in tandem with ‘Reece Lightning’.

“I’m definitely excited, I know what this environment is like,” Ponga said.

“Hopefully we can get everything right. There are combinations to be made but that’s the exciting part.

“I love what everyone else does watching him (Walsh). I just have to give him the footy and let him open up I guess.

“I have played in one (a Suncorp decider) before and I know exactly what to expect.

“I know what is going to be out there and everything that comes along with it.

“I know what it takes now to be at the top in this arena and be the best version of myself and my teammates.

“That’s the aim and goal this time, winning at home at Suncorp.”

Queensland star Kalyn Ponga shapes up as the Maroons X-factor ahead of the decider. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Former Maroons skipper and Queensland selector Darren Lockyer is relishing the prospect of a Ponga-Walsh one-two knockout punch.

“Billy will have a way of injecting ‘KP’ into the game,” Channel 9 expert analyst Lockyer said.

“He won’t just sit there as coverage for an outside back, you only have to look back to Cooper Cronk coming on as a 14 and Shaun Berrigan.

“You can create two sides of attack. You can have Reece Walsh on one side of the ruck and Kalyn Ponga on the other.

“If you build ruck speed, that makes them quite dangerous.”

Slater believes Ponga, his self-belief bolstered by his Dally M Medal win last year, is a superior player to the Maroons maestro who terrorised NSW two years ago.

“Being his coach and having played alongside him, I know what he brings,” Slater said.

“Kalyn is a different player now, he understands the game a lot better so I just want him to get on the field and play his game.

“Kalyn was extremely influential in 2022 and Reece has been the last couple of years.

“I said at some stage of the year they could be teammates and now they get the chance to be teammates.”

Originally published as Maroon’s million-dollar question answered: Reece Walsh, Kalyn Ponga unleashed