State of Origin 2023: Billy Slater names Queensland Maroons team for Game One
Maroons fullback Reece Walsh is determined not to be a one-hit Origin wonder, insisting he isn’t just keeping Kalyn Ponga’s spot warm and will make Queensland proud.
Broncos whizkid Reece Walsh says he is determined not to be a one-hit Origin wonder and has challenged New South Wales to try and target him in his Queensland debut.
Maroons mentor Billy Slater has taken one of the biggest gambles of his Origin coaching career by axing superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga and blooding Walsh for the series opener at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday week.
Walsh went agonisingly close to his Origin baptism two years ago when he was selected by the Maroons, only to break down with a hamstring injury 24 hours before Game Two of the 2021 series.
Now the Broncos young gun has his shot at redemption and Walsh is ready to live up to Slater’s belief that he can be a 10-year Origin fullback by keeping Ponga at bay in the battle for the No.1 jumper.
“I shed a couple of tears,” Walsh said after fielding a phone call from Slater on Sunday night.
“It was around 8 o’clock at night (when Slater called) and I was in my bed crying. I let my phone ring out for a little bit and then picked it up.
“To have Billy Slater calling you to play for Queensland ... it hits a spot in your heart that not many things do.
“That’s some nice words from Billy (to say Walsh is a 10-year Origin player).
“He is pretty honest about what he says. I have the confidence in myself that if I work hard and keep doing my job, why couldn’t I be here for a long time? My opportunity is here.”
Asked about Ponga wanting the Queensland No.1 jumper back for Origin II, Walsh said: “Any good footballer, if you ask them if they want to be in the State of Origin team and they say no, why are they in this job?
“’KP’ (Ponga) is a wonderful player, but it’s my opportunity right now.
“I don’t want to just come in for one game and be out the next, so I have to go out and do my job and if I do that, what else can I ask for?
“It’s my jumper to lose.”
Since his off-season move from the Warriors to the Broncos, Walsh has been in electric form and has fired Brisbane into the top-four with his sizzling speed and dynamic backline incursions.
The 20-year-old turns half-chances into tryscoring moments, as evidenced by his 61 tackle busts, 13 try assists and eight line breaks that have rubber-stamped him as one of the form players of the NRL this season.
There is a view Walsh could be suspect in defence or guilty of a big-game error, but the Broncos ace has a simple ethos if the Blues attempt to expose him in his Origin debut - bring it on.
“I don’t really care what the Blues do,” he said.
“I will go out and play football, so they can do whatever they want, it’s not going to faze me.
“I will go out and do my job.
“If I was in here doubting myself and not confident, then I would be doing Queensland and the jersey wrong.
“I’m going to go out there and do my job and whatever Queensland needs me to do, I will do that.
“But what has got me this jersey is taking my opportunities and those are the things I want to do.
“I will express myself and be me.”
Walsh said having the support of Queensland legend Slater, arguably the greatest fullback in rugby league history, has only emboldened him to take on Blues rival James Tedesco.
“Billy is a freak,” he said.
“When we have chats on the phone, I could talk to him for hours about footy.
“It’s just a bonus that he played fullback and I can sit here and learn off a lot of good players in the team and get tips from the best fullback the game has ever seen.
“I definitely feel a lot more ready this time (than in 2021).
“It’s weird how the world works, everything happens for a reason and I am grateful I have got the opportunity now to put on that jersey.
“I learnt a tough lesson last time hurting my hammy at the captain’s run, so I’m a lot better for it this time and with my preparation, I will do everything in my power to put my best foot forward come Wednesday week.”
THE ‘REALLY TOUGH’ CALLS SLATER MADE TO AXED MAROONS STARS
Billy Slater has backed Broncos whizkid Reece Walsh to handle his Origin debut after the Queensland coach revealed a duty of care was one factor in the shock axing of Maroons superstar Kalyn Ponga.
The Maroons have made seven changes for Origin I with Slater wielding the axe by dropping Ponga, veteran centre Dane Gagai and back-rower Kurt Capewell for the series opener against NSW at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday week.
In one of the biggest selection shake-ups in Queensland’s 43-year history, Slater will blood Walsh at fullback and has recalled Titans hulk David Fifita, Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Broncos enforcer Tom Flegler for Origin I.
But the twin bombshell was the dumping of 22-game veteran Gagai and fullback Ponga, who was Queensland’s hero in last year’s Origin decider and is rated a future Maroons captain.
Ponga appeared to be a selection certainty for Origin I, but alarm bells rang when the Knights star suffered another minor head knock against Cronulla on Saturday.
While Ponga was cleared to return to the field and was passed fit for Origin by Newcastle medicos, Maroons hierarchy had concerns over the 25-year-old’s history of head-trauma injuries.
The Maroons maestro has played just four games since returning from Canada for concussion testing and Slater took full responsibility for the decision to overlook Ponga in favour of Broncos young gun Walsh.
“I made this decision and I am really comfortable knowing it is the right decision,” Slater said of Ponga’s axing.
Asked if duty of care for Ponga’s wellbeing was a consideration, Slater said: “We take everything into consideration, including that.
“There was no more influential player towards the outcome of last year’s series than Kalyn Ponga.
“I’m really comfortable that this is the right decision for everyone involved.
“It is the right decision for the team and Reece Walsh has been playing fantastic football.
“I have watched him closer than most people and he is in a really good place.”
Slater has experienced the pain of being dropped during his decorated Origin and Test career and the Maroons mentor said his phone calls to Ponga, Capewell and Gagai were gut-wrenching.
Gagai has been a magnificent servant for Queensland for eight consecutive series, while Slater lauded Ponga’s team-first ethos and said Newcastle’s $6 million man can fight his way back into the Origin side.
“I spoke to Kalyn last night and I had to make some really tough phone calls,” Slater said.
“There were some good phone calls and some really tough ones.
“Speaking to Kalyn, speaking to ‘Gags’, Kurt Capwell and Xavier Coates.
“They are not easy decisions to make but they are made for the right reasons.
“They were very understanding. Those four guys are Queenslanders through and through.
“By the end of the conversations they were all really supportive of this team. They all want success for this team and they are willing to support the team in any way. They are great men and great Queenslanders.”
Asked if he has shut the door on Ponga, Slater said: “Definitely not, he has to play a bit more football. He has started that process.”
For Walsh, the call-up will soothe the pain of his heartbreak two years ago when he was picked to make his debut in Game Two of the 2021 series, only to tear his hamstring at the captain’s run at Suncorp Stadium.
Broncos recruit Walsh has been electric in Brisbane’s charge into the top four after 12 rounds and Slater believes the 20-year-old is ready to step up in the absence of Ponga.
“There is a lot more to Reece Walsh than what we see on the surface,” Slater said.
“He has got a great work ethic.
“If you ever watch him play live he is moving a lot without getting in the picture.
“His game is in a good place. It is going to get even better but it is in a good place.”
In other selection news, Fifita has rocketed into the starting team after his outstanding club form for the Titans and he will form an impressive back-row pairing with Dolphins firebrand Tom Gilbert.
Back-rower Felise Kaufusi has been suspended for Origin I for his high shot on Melbourne prop Christian Welch, while Tino Fa’asuamaleaui is free to face the Blues after being fined by the NRL match-review committee.
Slater praised the form of Fifita and believes Flegler is ready to rise as Queensland’s enforcer in the post-Josh Papalii era.
“Big Papa never took a backward step and now he gives an opportunity to a guy like Tom Flegler to go out there and lead the way for our state,” he said.
“Flegler is a better player this year and I am looking forward to seeing him out there in Maroon.”
Of Fifita, he said: “His performances this year have been as good as I can see him play. I think he is just starting to realise that the game is a complete package.”
The Maroons coach scoffed at claims Queensland are no longer underdogs as they eye back-to-back Origin shields.
“I don’t care, I seriously don’t care,” Slater said.
“It doesn’t worry me, it’s just outside noise for us.
“They (NSW) are a really good side. We know what we are up against and we are not ignorant to that, but we’ll build our game and perform to our best.”
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