Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf questions Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow’s selection on the wing for Maroons
Queensland coach Billy Slater has been called out by a club rival following one contentious change to the Maroons backline for Origin II.
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Billy Slater’s controversial Queensland shake-up has come under fire after Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf questioned the wing switch for tryscoring sensation Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in Origin II.
Slater is taking a gamble by moving Tabuai-Fidow from centre to wing to combat NSW matchwinner Zac Lomax in Wednesday night’s must-win Origin clash against the Blues at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
It will be the 23-year-old’s ninth appearance for the Maroons since his 2021 debut - but first on the wing.
While he plays fullback in the NRL for the Dolphins, the ‘Hammer’ has been a tryscoring revelation for Queensland out wide, netting nine tries in eight games starting at centre.
The Cairns speed machine bagged a hat-trick deputising at fullback in last year’s series-opener after Reece Walsh was knocked out.
Slater has made a raft of changes to the make-up of his Maroons team following a 18-6 Game One loss at Suncorp Stadium a fortnight ago.
He axed captain Daly Cherry-Evans and bench back-rower Beau Fermor, who only got 16 minutes on debut.
Slater has named Pat Carrigan and Jeremiah Nanai, Queensland’s best player in the series-opener, on the bench while promoting Trent Loiero to lock and recalling Kurt Capewell.
Tabuai-Fidow is also set for a positional switch with Valentine Holmes, who played left wing in Game One, now expected to revert to his club position at centre.
But Tabuai-Fidow’s club coach at the Dolphins can’t see the merit in playing Queensland’s fastest player out wide.
“It’s certainly not a position we’ll look at playing him here,” Woolf said.
“I’m not sure what the idea is.
“I think he’s a fullback, that’s his best position.
“He’s done a great job in the rep arena as a centre.
“I’m not in those camps so I won’t talk about selections.
“He’s a talented footy player. We all know that.”
Woolf urged Queensland’s revamped scrumbase of Cameron Munster and Tom Dearden to give the Hammer a chance to strike.
“Playing for Queensland means a lot so I know he’ll make that sacrifice and do it well,” he said.
“One thing you know with Hammer is that if you give him an opportunity he makes it count.
“I’ve seen it first-hand here and when I’ve coached against him.
“He gets half a sniff and makes it count.”
Tabuai-Fidow’s nine Origin tries came in his first six games.
The Maroons didn’t score a try in last year’s decider and their only four-pointer this year came courtesy of a Latrell Mitchell error which led to Xavier Coates scoring on the right wing.
Tabuai-Fidow last played wing for Samoa in the 2022 World Cup, where he suffered a bad ankle injury and returned to Australia.
Cherry-Evans came under fire for failing to give Tabuai-Fidow quality ball in the series opener, with the Dolphins ace largely well-contained by the Blues, making 101 metres from 11 runs with two tackle busts and no line breaks.
The Kangaroos flyer is expected to mark up against Blues danger man Lomax, who was outstanding in Game One, and says he has to lift after being muzzled in Origin I.
“It wasn’t good losing in Game One, but I can be a lot better in this game and I’m excited to get another chance,” he said.
“I don’t mind moving to the wing.
“If I get space, I can use my speed and I can get the ball back quickly on kick returns.
“I was pretty quiet (in Origin I). I didn’t get too much clean ball.
“My defence wasn’t up to scratch, people talk about my speed but at Origin level you have to get your defence right.
“I have to work on that.”
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