State of Origin: How Billy Slater will unleash Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga; bites back at claims NSW are the ‘people’s team’
Billy Slater has has outlined his plan to unleash Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga together in attack, while also hitting back at claims NSW are the “people’s team” ahead of the series decider.
Queensland coach Billy Slater has outlined his plan to unleash Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga in a lethal one-two attacking punch to continue NSW’s torment in State of Origin deciders at Suncorp Stadium.
And Slater hit back at NSW counterpart Michael Maguire, who taunted his rival by declaring the Blues are the “people’s team” after the Maroons mentor opted to reduce media commitments for his players ahead of Origin III on Wednesday week.
Slater resisted the urge to wield the axe following a heavy 38-18 loss in Game Two, with Xavier Coates, Jaydn Su’A and Murray Taulagi omitted after suffering injuries over the past fortnight.
Queensland’s swelling casualty ward has opened the door for comeback kids Ponga and Dane Gagai to return in Maroon - two years after they starred in an epic series-deciding 22-12 win at Suncorp in 2022.
Walsh and Ponga will play together for the first time in the Origin arena and Slater will devise a game plan to utilise the superstar fullbacks as strike weapons as the Maroons chase an Origin three-peat.
Walsh has retained the Queensland No.1 jumper, with Ponga named on the bench as the Maroons’ super sub to terrorise the Blues like he did in the 2022 Suncorp decider.
“I always thought they would love to be teammates and now they get the opportunity to be teammates,” Slater said.
“How we go about it, we will build that over the next nine days.
“I am pretty excited for them both to go out there and get their footy on.
“We know what they bring, they are very exciting players, but at the same time we need to get our footy right from the start.
“We can’t be on the back foot like we were in Game Two.
“We need to raise the standards of our game to get there.”
Ponga destroyed the Blues with a try, 247 metres, 15 tackle busts and two line breaks in his last game in Maroon and he sealed his resurrection with a classy performance against Canberra on Sunday.
Asked if Ponga, who overcame career-threatening concussions last year, is Queensland’s X-factor, Slater said: “Yep. Everytime you go through adversity, it builds that resilience in you.
“I have been through it as a player with injuries and setbacks and disappointments.
“Kalyn has done that and he has really matured as a person and a footy player.
“He was pretty influential in 2022 as well at Suncorp, so to have the strike of Reece and Kalyn in our footy team ... if we earn our footy, they will be able to play their games.”
Slater denied he is feeling the heat and scoffed at suggestions NSW treat their fans better than his Queensland team. He is adamant the suffocating media focus in Queensland didn’t affect his players in their heavy loss at the MCG.
“Absolutely not. Players talking to media is not a factor in our performance from Game Two,” he said.
“I feel the access (to players) is great. There are circumstances around players coming into camp at different stages (on Monday) that we couldn’t get everyone available, but we do everything possible to get the voices of our players to the people watching our game.”
Asked about Maguire claiming NSW are the people’s team, Slater said: “You guys get the opportunity to come down and watch us at Sanctuary Cove, we get a great turnout down there from fans wanting to watch the boys train and that’s where the story is.
“I don’t think we will read into it too much. I think it’s a bit unfair.”
Slater defended the fresh snubbing of in-form Titans forward David Fifita, while also backing Gagai, recalled at right centre, to help the Maroons bury NSW at their Suncorp graveyard.
“We all know what Gagai brings,” he said. “He has played more than 20 Origins, he is a very passionate Queenslander and playing wonderful footy at the moment. I’m really excited to see him back in a Maroon jumper.
“Dave was a serious consideration but we feel the 17 players that have been chosen are the 17 players who have earnt the opportunity to be here.
“All Queenslanders are considered and Dave’s name has been in the conversation for all games. Like I said at the start of the series, he started the season behind the eight ball with a pec injury, he didn’t have a great pre-season and he is still working back to the standard he set for himself last year.
“I’m sure he would be the first one to admit that. These conversations aren’t just throwaway conversations we have behind closed doors, this is the 17 we feel is the best for Game Three.
“To be honest, the changes personnel wise aren’t going to fix what happened in Game Two.
“We have to make sure our discipline is on point and we aren’t putting more pressure on ourselves.
“That’s important for us to go after in this camp. It is a different game but we have to make sure it’s different with our actions.”
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