Queensland great Billy Slater joins Maroons’ Origin selection panel

Queensland have enlisted Billy Slater to help bring down the Blues with the champion fullback being added to the Maroons’ State of Origin selection panel.

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Queensland have enlisted Billy Slater to help bring down the Blues with the champion fullback being added to the Maroons’ State of Origin selection panel.

Slater captained the Maroons in his 31st and final game last season and Queensland hierarchy have wasted no time snapping up his services in retirement to help reclaim the Origin shield from the Blues.

The legendary Storm custodian will join Gene Miles, Darren Lockyer and coach Kevin Walters on the selection panel for this year’s 2019 Origin series.

Billy Slater will join Queensland’s selection panel. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

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“It’s a great honour to be offered this position,” Slater said.

“I have always been willing to contribute to this team in any way possible.”

Slater is one of Queensland’s favourite sons, skippering the Maroons to a face-saving 18-12 defeat of NSW in Origin III last year in his interstate captaincy debut at Suncorp Stadium.

The 35-year-old was already keen to play a major role this season, with Walters adding Slater to his team of assistants to help mentor the likes of Kalyn Ponga and his former Storm teammate Cameron Munster.

Slater skippered Queensland in Game three last year. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Now Slater will have a beefed-up role as a selector. The former Test custodian has previously sung the praises of Ponga, putting the Newcastle whizkid in the box seat to succeed Slater in the Queensland’s No.1 jumper.

“With a sharp mind and genuine understanding of Origin and the modern-day game, we believe Billy’s addition will only add more nous to a panel that has unrivalled experience across multiple eras,” QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher said.

LISTEN! Pressure on the Clearys, Ponga’s missing spark and rich pickings for the Blues. Plus Matty’s confrontation with “The Animal”. Don’t miss this week’s episode of The Matty Johns podcast with Paul Kent and James Hooper.

Walters, who is shooting for a third-series win in his fourth year in charge of the Maroons, lauded Slater’s importance to the Maroons.

“Billy is one of the most loyal and passionate Queenslanders I’ve come across,” he said. “From all my dealings with him, you know that he is always willing to help out in any capacity he can.”