‘There’ll be another change’: Qld legend predicts late Maroons switch for Origin decider

A Maroons legend has quietly dropped a bombshell selection prediction as Queensland look to target NSW in the Origin decider.

Matthew Sullivan

3 min read

July 1, 2025 - 6:16AM

NRL

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Cooper Cronk is expecting Queensland coach Billy Slater to make a late change to his starting side for next week’s State of Origin decider.

Slater confirmed his Game 3 squad on Monday, naming Broncos centre Gehamat Shibasaki to make his Origin debut and recalling Josh Papalii two years after the veteran prop retired from rep footy.

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Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was named at fullback and Reece Walsh was named as 18th man, with Slater insisting the battle for the No. 1 jersey came down to form, not Walsh’s ongoing knee injury.

But Slater might not be done making changes. Speaking on Fox League’s Matty & Cronk show, Queensland great Cronk believes Slater will bring Pat Carrigan into the starting line-up on game day.

Carrigan was dropped to the bench for Game 2 for Storm forward Trent Loiero and Slater stuck with the same option on his team sheet for Game 3.

Cooper Cronk is tipping a late change for Queensland to target NSW’s forward pack.

But Cronk is expecting the Broncos star to be given the No. 13 jersey as Slater looks to add grunt to his forward pack.

“I suggest there’ll be another change to the starting team because of the influence of ‘Papa’,” Slater said.

“I like it (Papalii’s selection). I really do, him and Tino up front.

“If I’m Billy, I’d make a late change and start Carrigan. Reason being, you look at the starting middle rotation for NSW. It will be (Max) King, (Payne) Haas and Isaah Yeo.

“Haas is hard to handle. But Carrigan, Tino and Papa I think could physically outmuscle King when he runs the footy, and Yeo when he runs the footy.

“I would say the presence of Papa is going to ignite something in the Queensland forward pack and I’d run all-out to start the game. Carrigan in the front row and go ‘take ‘em on’.”

“I think Papa’s a good move. Tino’s going to be inspired playing alongside him. If you start the game with Patrick Carrigan, I think it could be a good thing.

Pat Carrigan could be brought into Queensland’s start side. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Matty Johns said he would have picked Walsh at fullback but understood Slater’s decision to go with Tabuai-Fidow.

NSW coach Laurie Daley named an unchanged team for Game 3, backing in Bulldogs prop King and Storm forward Stefano Utoikamanu on the bench.

Daley said Nathan Cleary was still managing a groin injury he sustained in the lead-up to Game 1 and he wasn’t expecting him to do the goalkicking in Game 3.

“We think he’ll be 100 per cent fit but I don’t think he’ll be goalkicking,” Daley told NRL 360 on Monday.

“That’ll be up to Nathan and how he’s travelling, but I wouldn’t expect him to goalkick. I think Zac (Lomax) will do a great job for us.

“It’s just unfortunate before Game 1 he twinged his groin. He did a really great job to play in fact, we were unsure if he was going to play or not, but he and the medical staff did a terrific job.

“He was confident he could get through but couldn’t do goalkicking or a lot of the long kicking.

“He’s more confident than what he was leading into Game 2. I think he’ll be close to 100 per cent by Game 3.”

Zac Lomax was 2/5 in his conversion attempts in Game 2 and the Blues could have wrapped up the series win had he been more accurate.

Official Queensland team for State of Origin Game 3

1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow

2. Xavier Coates

3. Robert Toia

4. Gehamat Shibasaki

5. Valentine Holmes

6. Cameron Munster (c)

7. Tom Dearden

8. Josh Papalii