Queensland Maroons flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow involved in training mishap, cleared for Origin I

The Maroons received a minor scare after speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow suffered a knock at training and briefly sat out the session to be assessed by medicos. LATEST FROM CAMP MAROON

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was forced from the field during a training session. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Queensland speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has been cleared to play in Origin I as the Maroons prepare to unleash aerial assassin Xavier Coates on NSW rival Brian To’o.

The Maroons received a minor scare on Sunday when ‘The Hammer’ suffered a knock at training and briefly sat out the session to be assessed by medicos.

Queensland’s fastest player copped a knock to his knee after colliding with a Sunshine Coast rival in an opposed session, but after leaving the field, he later returned to complete some extras.

Tabuai-Fidow was cleared of any structural damage and given the green light for Wednesday night, with the Maroons wrapping up their most intense session of the week in front of a packed grandstand at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

“Hammer is fine,” Maroons hooker Harry Grant said.

“We get plenty of knocks and bumps and bruises at training.

“That’s all it was, it was right at the end of the session.

“Hammer took his time to have a break but I’m sure he will be fine.”

Queensland are plotting a one-two punch on either side of the field, with Tabuai-Fidow set to start at left centre, while Coates has been training on the Maroons’ right wing.

That puts the ‘X-Factor’ on a collision course with Blues winger To’o, who is at least 12 centimetres shorter than his 194cm Queensland opposite.

Coates has scored some remarkable tries for Melbourne this season with aerial leaps reminiscent of flying marks in the AFL.

A fortnight ago against Cronulla, Coates soared to the heavens to pluck a Cameron Munster cross-kick out of the sky and crash over on his way to a hat-trick.

Now Maroons halves Munster and Daly Cherry-Evans are ready to bombard To’o, mindful the shorter Blues winger stands no chance if Queensland’s high kicks are accurately positioned for the soaring Coates.

Storm teammate Grant is acutely aware of Coates’ aerial power and says the Maroons winger could wreak havoc in the air in the Origin opener at Suncorp Stadium.

“It is a great threat,” Grant said of Coates’ towering frame and huge leap.

“We have plenty of threats in our team and each bring different strengths to the team with the threat that they pose.

“Xavier has a real aerial threat.

“A lot of people don’t know he started on the right side of the field as a player (in the NRL) and he changed to the left side of the field at Melbourne.

Xavier Coates will be a high-ball target on the wing. Picture: Lachie Millard

“He had to change his whole dynamic of competing and contesting kicks, learning how to jump off the opposite foot.

“Xavier is a real athlete in that sense, he knows his strengths and he just works on it extremely hard.

“He has done that for a number of years now so he has that (ability to score from high kicks) in his back pocket.

“We look forward to seeing Xavier compete on those kicks.”