Kevin Walters says he has not regrets after his first State of Origin series defeat
MAROONS coach Kevin Walters says he has no regrets over the decisions he made during his first Origin series loss, but will tread carefully with picking injured players next year.
Maroons
Don't miss out on the headlines from Maroons. Followed categories will be added to My News.
MAROONS coach Kevin Walters says he has no regrets over the decisions he made during his first Origin series loss, but will tread carefully with picking injured players next year.
Walters has had 11 days to digest his first series loss as Queensland coach after the Maroons slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Brad Fittler’s “Baby Blues”.
COMEBACK: Knights fly home against Titans
WRONG: Bunker was in the dark in Raiders robbery
Queensland avoided being beaten 3-nil by securing an 18-12 victory at Suncorp Stadium in last Wednesday’s dead-rubber.
In his third year as coach, Walters was facing a monumental task to continue Queensland’s dynasty and lead the Maroons to a fourth-straight series win following the representative retirements of Origin legends Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk.
The absence of some of Queensland’s greatest ever players — combined with the selection snubbing of Matt Scott and Darius Boyd and injury to Matt Gillett — proved telling as the Maroons struggled to fire in key positions and lacked punch in the forwards.
Walters opted for Dragons halfback Ben Hunt to replace Cronk in the No. 7 jersey for the first two matches which Queensland lost while Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough stepped into skipper Smith’s void.
In Game Three, Hunt was sent to the bench and fired at dummy-half when injected while Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans produced an outstanding performance at halfback following a three-year Origin exile.
Cherry-Evans’ performance validated suggestions he should have been the first-choice halfback to partner five-eighth Cameron Munster but Walters said he was happy with his decisions.
“We did some really good things,” he told The Sunday Mail.
“We blooded three or four players that will be long-term players for us. By winning that third game, it’s given myself and the rest of the team a lot of confidence going into next year.
“We were close in Game One (22-12 loss) and closer in Game Two (18-14 loss) and got it right for Game Three. We can get a lot out of that.
“Even though we lost the series, sometimes you learn a lot more when you lose than when you win. That’s been the case for us.
“I know we’re heading in the right direction.
“It was always going to be tough losing those experienced players and greats of the game. But we won’t use that as an excuse. Those boys aren’t coming back and we’ve got our head around that.
“This is a new Queensland team moving forward and they showed what they can do.”
Walters, 50, needed to produce a minor miracle to rescue the series after Queensland lost the opening match at the MCG.
The Maroons were destined to fail in Game One after fullback Billy Slater withdrew less than 48 hours before the match after carrying a hamstring injury into camp.
Hunt carried a thigh injury throughout the camp, utility Michael Morgan was nursing a complaint before being thrust into the starting fullback role at short notice and lock Josh McGuire (ankle) hadn’t played in six weeks.
Origin victories are set up in the days leading into the match and Walters said Queensland’s injury struggles were hard to overcome.
“Not really, apart from winning games one and two,” Walters said when asked if he would do anything differently.
“We did a lot of good things. We improved over the series which is something we can look at and know it’s a job well done.
“We lost our captain (Smith retired) about 12 days out from Origin I (camp) and Billy Slater didn’t play in Game One, Josh McGuire hadn’t played for six weeks, Michael Morgan and Ben Hunt were under injury clouds. You’ve got to give them every chance to play.
“If we can get 17 fit and healthy guys for the start of Origin I next year that will be a big step for us.
“Sometimes you don’t have a lot of say in that. It’s just the way the game rolls.
“Those things all affected the performance in Game One.”
The Maroons produced an incredible comeback after losing Game One in 2017 to win the series, but could not conjure a similar effort this year.
The opening match of the series will return to Suncorp Stadium next year and Walters said it was critical Queensland got off to a winning start.
“We are all starting from a clean state again next year,” he said.
“Queensland has been quite dominant over the last 10 or 12 years.
“What’s important for Queensland is next year we start again and win Game One.
“If we win Game One that will put us in an even stronger position to win Game Two and maybe Game Three.
“It’s all about Game One and starting from scratch.”
Walters is contracted to coach Queensland until the end of the 2020 series.
Originally published as Kevin Walters says he has not regrets after his first State of Origin series defeat