State of Origin 2024: Billy Slater puts QLD Maroons on notice as injury crisis threatens hat-trick hopes
They may have been hit with a heavy injury toll, but Queensland coach Billy Slater has warned Maroons players he will not tolerate complacency in their quest for an Origin three-peat.
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Queensland coach Billy Slater has hosed down talk of a hat-trick of titles and warned Maroons stars he will not tolerate complacency in their quest for an Origin three-peat this season.
The Maroons have been installed as early favourites with bookmakers to clinch a third consecutive Origin series win over New South Wales as they prepare for the series opener in Sydney on June 5.
But Slater has put his troops on notice as the Maroons confront an injury toll that has wiped out Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Tom Gilbert for the series, while Jai Arrow (shoulder) and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (hamstring) are both sidelined.
Slater has had the Midas touch as Queensland coach, with the legendary fullback winning back-to-back series and tormenting the Blues after succeeding Paul Green for the 2022 campaign.
Slater’s dominance effectively led to the demise of his NSW rival Brad Fittler, but with new Blues coach Michael Maguire hungry for revenge in his debut series, the Maroons mentor says he will not let standards slip.
“Comfortable is a dangerous place to be,” said Slater as he ramps up preparations for Queensland’s title defence.
“When you are comfortable, you are complacent.
“It’s a big challenge for the group now, there are always different challenges and this series is as challenging as ever.
“The challenge for our guys is to re-earn those actions and the standards that we have created.
“Success just doesn’t happen again.
“The standard has been set, our guys have had to face adversity the past two years and there will be adversity again.
“If you start looking for improvements and growth and start doing things differently and forgetting about building the foundation for the team, then you can lose it all.
“First and foremost, the players have created a great foundation for this Queensland team, but they need to re-earn it again.
“That will be my first message.”
The Blues can already smell blood in a weakened Queensland pack.
Fa’asuamaleaui and Gilbert are two of the Maroons’ hardest-working forwards, but with both undergoing knee reconstructions, the pressure is on the likes of Pat Carrigan, Lindsay Collins and Reuben Cotter to step up.
“First and foremost I feel for the players,” Slater said.
“I feel for Tino and Tommy, while Jai Arrow hasn’t played since round 1.
“I feel for those guys because I have gone through serious injuries and I know how much they put into their careers.
“They give it everything and I know the desire they have to be part of the Queensland team.
“Tino, in particular, has been a real foundation of this team over the last two series and it will pose a real challenge to our middle forwards now that Tino is not going to be there.
“That’s a challenge for our group and in particular our middle forwards to perform and step up in place of Tino.”
In the backline, centre incumbent Tabuai-Fidow will be sidelined for four to six weeks, while star five-eighth Cameron Munster has only just returned from a groin injury he must manage for the rest of the season.
Early in his own decorated career, Slater battled osteitis pubis for two years and he is confident Munster can play through the pain barrier to spearhead Queensland’s attack.
“Cam is going all right,” Slater said.
“I’ve had a similar injury and it can be tough at times, it can be painful, but it doesn’t seem to be hindering his performance.
“It’s going to be an ongoing thing for him. These (groin injuries) don’t heal in a few weeks, he will have to manage it, but he’s not the only one in the competition managing an injury. His is just well publicised.”
Slater knows Maguire’s coaching constitution. He was an emerging fullback superstar at Melbourne when Maguire joined the Storm in 2004, serving five years as Craig Bellamy’s assistant before moving on to enjoy success as a head coach.
Now, two decades later, Maguire is hellbent on dismantling Slater’s Maroons dynasty.
“I’m respectful of him rather than wary,” Slater said of Maguire.
“I am extremely respectful to anyone who dedicates their life to this game. Michael was an assistant when I was developing my game at the Storm and he was dedicating his life to the coaching game 20 years ago.
“You don’t have the runs on the board that he has if you don’t have half an idea of what you are doing.
“He has had success over the other side of the world, he has had success over this side of the world, so I 100 per cent respect him as a coach.
“I would be very surprised if he doesn’t try and build pressure. That’s probably one thing that I would expect from a Michael Maguire-coached team – they are going to apply pressure on us and do the tough areas of the game well.
“But our priority is us, it always has been and always will be.
“We need to get our backyard sorted first.”
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