Queensland coach Kevin Walters defends small attendance at Emerging Maroons camp

MAROONS coach Kevin Walters has denied Queensland is running out of State of Origin players after just 11 players were invited to the Emerging Maroons camp.

Queensland Coach Kevin Walters faces the media before the Queensland State of Origin team's final training session at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Tuesday, July 11, 2017. The Queensland Maroons will take on the New South Wales Blues in the third and deciding State of Origin match on July 12, 2017. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING

MAROONS coach Kevin Walters has denied Queensland is running out of State of Origin players.

This year’s crop of potential Queensland stars assembled on the Gold Coast on Friday for the annual Emerging Origin camp.

The group of 11 is one of the smallest in the concept’s 17-year history, raising concerns about the depth of Queensland’s playing stocks.

Walters had 20 attend the camps in 2016 and 2017, while 18 were at former coach Mal Meninga’s final camp in 2015.

But Walters said the smaller group was a result of eight players making their Origin debuts for Queensland last year.

Queensland used a large number of debutants in the victorious 2017 series.

The Maroons made a raft of changes to their team last year due to injury and poor form following NSW’s big Game One victory.

Queensland pulled off a remarkable comeback to win the series, continuing the state’s Origin dominance with their 11th victory in the past 12 years.

Walters said a smaller group with genuine Origin credentials had been selected for the 2018 camp.

“We’ve dropped our numbers off this year,” he said.

“We’re looking for these 11 guys to spend some time together and get to know each other because there are some new ones coming in.

“We blooded eight last year. I wanted there to be some reality with our Emerging camps and they are genuine chances of playing Origin.

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“That’s always been our theory.”

Walters handed Origin debuts to Valentine Holmes, Anthony Milford, Dylan Napa, Jarrod Wallace, Coen Hess, Tim Glasby, Ben Hunt and Cameron Munster last year, meaning they were not considered for this year’s camp.

Newcastle’s Kalyn Ponga and Tautau Moga, Parramatta’s Corey Norman and Gold Coast duo Brenko Lee and Jai Arrow are attending their first camp.

Returning players include Cowboys duo Ethan Lowe and Kyle Feldt along with Melbourne’s Felise Kaufusi and Christian Welch, Titans halfback Ashley Taylor and Manly prop Lloyd Perrett.

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Queensland had 26 players attend its under-20s emerging camp earlier this month and Origin selector Darren Lockyer said a small group had been targeted for the senior camp.

“It’s a more streamlined approach,” he said.

“It’s about picking the guys that are genuinely in line for a jersey in the next year or two.

“We don’t want to have big squads in there and waste people’s time. It’s about getting those guys who are earmarked to be the next in line.”

Apart from some on-field training, Walters will speak to the Emerging squad players about the expectations of being a Maroon.

“We can get some better work done with a smaller group,” he said.

“We’ll do some work around Origin and what is expected of them.

“We’ve got Mick Martin, our sports psychologist, coming in and we will get to know a bit about them and they can learn about us.”

The camp concludes tomorrow.