Queensland trio cleared for Origin II
Queensland trio Cameron Munster, Kyle Feldt and Moeaki Fotuaika have been cleared to play in the second State of Origin game. All three players were charged by the match review committee.
Queensland trio Cameron Munster, Kyle Feldt and Moeaki Fotuaika have been cleared to play in the second State of Origin game.
All three players were charged by the match review committee late on Wednesday night but only Fotuaika will miss any football.
Munster and Feldt were both fined for dangerous contact and contrary conduct respectively — Munster lashed out with his boot on Liam Martin and Feldt was charged over an incident involving Cameron Murray.
Fotuaika will miss one game with an early guilty plea after he was involved in an incident with South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell.
The judiciary result was a rare piece of good news for the Maroons after their embarrassing loss to NSW in the opening game of the series in Townsville on Wednesday night.
Queensland conceded 50 points for only the second time in Origin history, suffering their worst loss since Origin’s inception.
Coach Paul Green has a mountain to climb to bring his side back from the brink and changes are expected, the most significant being the potential return of Kalyn Ponga from injury.
Ponga missed the opening game of the series with an adductor problem and the Maroons will be hoping and praying that he is fit for the second game in Brisbane, which would allow Green to push Valentine Holmes back to the wing or even select him at centre.
Christian Welch is also expected to be fit to play in Origin II after he was ruled out early in Wednesday night’s match after failing a head injury assessment.
He should be joined in the front row by Josh Papalii, who will make his comeback from suspension for Canberra this weekend.
Beyond that, the pickings are slim for Queensland as they look for ways to combat the brilliance of NSW centre pairing Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell, the pair chiefly responsible for the way the Maroons were picked apart at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
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