Kevin Walters makes the toughest call of his coaching career to exclude Billy Slater for State of Origin I

YOU could see the emotion on the face of Kevin Walters after he announced the toughest call of his coaching career.

QLD Origin Coach Kevin Walters announces the Game 1 squad, QRL headquarters, Milton, Brisbane. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

KEVIN Walters insisted on ringing three unselected Queensland contenders to break the bad news on Monday morning.

It was talking about Billy Slater’s non-selection later to the media that made the Maroons coach’s bottom lip wobble in a moment when empathy and emotion shone through the cracks at rugby league’s toughest level.

Walters tripped over his words a little as he praised Slater as a wonderful player for Queensland who went “above and beyond’’ in his off-field efforts in camp when sidelined by injury last year.

Two more calls from Walters also went in to Gavin Cooper, who played the dead rubber last year, and Valentine Holmes, explaining their non-selections.

“Kev’s had a pretty tough morning, actually, just trying to sort out our final 17,’’ his chairman of selectors Gene Miles said.

Walters was visibly emotional following the announcement.

“It’s 17 years (as a Queensland selector) and that is without doubt the toughest decision we’ve had to make, probably the best fullback I’ve seen. It came after lots of chats to different people. We’ve been more than happy with the wingers (Corey Oates and Dane Gagai).

“He wouldn’t let me do those calls (to players who were close to selection but omitted).

“He wanted to do those himself, which I thoroughly support.’’

Walters said later that he felt it was his responsibility to tell a select group of unpicked players.

“I wasn’t going to shy away from it, but it’s not a nice part of the job,’’ Walters said.

“He was obviously disappointed and felt he had every right to believe he was a chance, but we’ve gone with Darius (Boyd) for Game One and Billy has accepted the decision like the true Queenslander he is.

“He’s more than a player, he’s been a friend of mine for a couple of years now. I worked with him at the Melbourne Storm and I know what he has given for Queensland.’’

No other 20-game Queensland Origin player felt the blunt axe of selection disappointment as often as Walters, who was also left on the bench all game in 1990 in his second match for the state.

“It’s what we were joking about this morning that JT (Johnathan Thurston) would have to wear the 18 jersey and that was a first for him,’’ Miles said.

“Kevie said, ‘Don’t worry, I have a cupboard full of them at home’.’’

After Wally Lewis’s retirement in 1991, Walters played three games as a starting five-eighth and three as an interchange player in the 1992 and 1993 series won by an ascendant Blues side captained by Laurie Daley.

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He was dropped again in 1996 and it wasn’t until 1998 that he played all three matches in a winning series.

The Former Origin Greats club is a long way short of a poetry reading group, but it reserves a special place for Chris Close, who would be moved to tears when speaking as a team manager about what Origin meant to him.

“Kev couldn’t get out how many people were here when he walked through the door for the media call,’’ Miles said.

“Origin means a lot to people.

“They all accepted it very well. That’s pleasing to hear that they aren’t out there kicking cans and all they want is for Queensland to win — that’s the culture of this team. We have to bring young guys into witness while we still have this nucleus.’’