Billy Slater scoop: Great to get one up on Queensland Maroons
QUEENSLAND will do anything to win a State of Origin match, even tell a porky. But they couldn’t get away with it this time, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.
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KEVIN Walters is the most honest man you’d ever meet.
He wouldn’t tell a lie unless he had to. Like on the eve of a big State of Origin game.
At 1.54pm Monday, your columnist phoned the Maroons coach while he was having lunch with a mate at the team hotel in Melbourne.
We’d been told through a great source that fullback Billy Slater was out.
“I’ll ring you back in 15 minutes,” he said.
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We spoke again on the phone and Kevvie was still in denial. He insisted the Storm superstar was in the side and would play Wednesday night.
Typical Queenslander and the desperate tactics they will resort to in order to get an edge in the build-up to the series opener. They will do anything to win, even tell a porky.
Our source was so good and so reliable we ran with the story anyway.
Earlier at Walters’ press conference in front of a huge national media throng in Melbourne, there was no mention of Slater. The boys had trained well, Kevvie said. The team was as per program.
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Further investigations revealed Slater was ruled out Monday morning. His hamstring was sore after Sunday training on the Gold Coast. Walters wanted to keep it quiet until at least game day.
Why give the Blues any advantage? Obviously Brad Fittler now has more time to alter his game plan.
The plan to combat new fullback Michael Morgan is obviously different to Slater: Morgan is as safe as a bank but lacks Slater’s speed.
Before filing this story when it was confirmed Slater was out, I sent Walters a text message: “You’re too good, Kevvie.”
And his reply: “You got the story … there are no secrets in rugby league.”
Finally, he said to reporters: “We were trying to hold back from announcing it publicly but the media is too good.”
It’s nice to get one up on a Queenslander..