Matt Scott, Darius Boyd overlooked as Kevin Walters unveils Maroons squad

THE Maroons have axed a combined 50 games of Origin experience, but Kevin Walters insists Queensland’s famous policy remains solid.

Queensland State of Origin coach Kevin Walters speaks to the media at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Australia and Queensland captain Cameron Smith has announced he's ending his representative rugby league career effective immediately, just three weeks out from the State of Origin series. (AAP Image/Daniel Pockett) NO ARCHIVING

MAROONS coach Kevin Walters has hit back at claims Queensland has abandoned its famous loyalty policy after axing veterans Darius Boyd and Matt Scott for Origin I.

Walters confirmed The Courier-Mail’s report on Monday morning that the Maroons would farewell a combined 50 games of Origin experience in Boyd and Scott for next Wednesday’s series opener at the MCG.

Broncos captain Boyd, a 28-Origin representative, has missed out on the left wing berth in favour of Cronulla flyer Valentine Holmes.

But the biggest shock was the axing of 22-game Cowboys co-captain Scott, who Walters guaranteed a recall in March.

Scott missed last year’s series with a knee injury and Walters said the warhorse prop was not ready to return to the Origin arena.

“It was very difficult,” Walters said of overlooking Scott.

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Kevin Walters unveils the 2018 Maroons team for Game One.

“That’s the worst part of my job, ringing those players and informing them they’re not in the team. The flip side is I get to ring some guys and let them know they are in the team

“It was a pretty ordinary afternoon yesterday for a few of those guys. It’s very disappointing for them not to be playing.

“Coming back from a major surgery and re-injuring himself a week ago … Matty needs to play a bit more football yet.

“I said to him he is by no means out of the picture. We think he can contribute to the series.

“He has been playing some good football for the Cowboys but we felt it was in the best interest of the team. We’ve always had Queensland’s interests at heart.”

The Maroons have built an Origin dynasty with 11 wins from the past 12 series on a “pick and stick” policy implemented by Mal Meninga in 2006.

Boyd and Scott have been long-term servants, but both did not feature in last year’s decider and Walters said selectors stayed loyal to the incumbent players.

“Last year for Game One we picked a side we thought would be the best for Queensland and it possibly wasn’t,” he said.

“This year we’ve gone with the team we think can produce for Queensland.

“Valentine Holmes scored three tries in Game Three last year.

“People say ‘you’re not being loyal to Queensland’, well we are being loyal to the players that did the job in Game Three last year.”

Walters said Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans was unlucky to miss selection as he opted for Ben Hunt and Cameron Munster in the halves to replace Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk.

“We felt there was a number of candidates to play in the number seven for Queensland,” he said.

“DCE was one of them. Michael Morgan could have done the job there.

“We are very fortunate with no Thurston and Cronk that in comes Ben Hunt and Cameron Munster who are the future for the Maroons.”

Rabbitohs star Greg Inglis will replace Cameron Smith in the Queensland captaincy as he returns after missing last year’s series with a knee injury.

Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough will replace Smith in the No. 9 jersey.

QUEENSLAND STATE OF ORIGIN TEAM FOR GAME ONE

1 Billy Slater

2 Valentine Holmes

3 Greg Inglis (c)

4 Will Chambers

5 Dane Gagai

6 Cameron Munster

7 Ben Hunt

8 Dylan Napa

9 Andrew McCullough

10 Jarrod Wallace

11 Gavin Cooper

12 Felise Kaufusi

13 Josh McGuire

14 Michael Morgan

15 Josh Papalii

16 Coen Hess

17 Jai Arrow

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Originally published as Matt Scott, Darius Boyd overlooked as Kevin Walters unveils Maroons squad