State of Origin III: Billy Slater perplexed by Wally Lewis Medal decision

Not even Billy Slater knew what to say when he was announced as man of the State of Origin series.

Queensland’s Billy Slater is named man of the match and man of the-series. It’s gotta be some sort of joke. Not even Slater has known what to say about it. He hasn’t played the first match in Melbourne. He’s been very good in the next two without being great. He’s been on the losing team. Daly Cherry-Evans has been the most influential figure in last night’s final fixture and yet Slater has walked off with all the individual awards.

The gongs are awarded by Test selectors Mal Meninga, Darren Lockyer and Laurie Daley. They either have short memories or their wires crossed.

“Oh, geez,” Slater says. “Thanks very much.”

NSW coach Brad Fittler later defends the decision saying Slater won it for “more than the series”.

“I can live with the fact he takes the medal away,” Fittler says. “I don’t know if it was for the two games he played this series. There were a few players in our team I would’ve chosen.

“The fact is he has been a brilliant player. I can live with him walking away with it.”

Slater later recovers from the shock to announce he feels “pretty happy right now”.

“I’m a little bit surprised. I only played two games this year. I’ve always been confident in my ability. I just want to do the best I can for the team. To have a Wally Lewis Medal in my cabinet from my last game is going to be something very special.”

NSW fullback James Tedesco was man of the match in game one, while Blues skipper Boyd Cordner took the honours in game two.

Billy Slater celebrates Queensland's Daly Cherry-Evans try during Game 3 of the State of Origin series. Picture: Phil Hillyard

But having the player of the series come from a side that only won a dead rubber and by someone that didn’t play the first game didn’t go down well across the board.

Former Blues captain Paul Gallen said Cordner was unlucky not to win the medal. “I cant help but feel sorry for a NSW player not to win the Wally Lewis Medal. They (NSW) won the series. Someone like Boyd Cordner thoroughly deserved it,” he said on the Nine Network.

“He was the best forward on the field in game one.

“Cordner was man of the match in game two and I thought he played well tonight — 80 minutes in those two games. I’m a little bit disappointed for a Blues player not to win it”.

The night has begun with Cherry-Evans’ name being called out over the loud speaker. His cherubic face has appeared on the big screen. Boos have reverberated across Suncorp Stadium but it’s been impossible to know from where they’re coming. Disloyal Queenslanders? The small pockets of NSW supporters with blue wigs and big mouths? There’s a graveyard next door to the ground. His Origin career will be in there if this goes pear-shaped.

Billy Slater of the Maroons is chaired off the ground.

His first half is dynamic. His kicking game is superb and justifies why the Maroons have given him another chance. Retiring captain Slater has the sentimental support — the majority of the 51,214-strong crowd are on their feet when he gets the ball and goes like the clappers — and if the Maroons have failed to capitalise on first-half dominance, it hasn’t been their fault. Playing for very different reasons, in that Slater is saying goodbye to Origin while Cherry-Evans is trying to say hello.

The feeling is that the Blues will run away with the second half because the lopsided possession will surely even itself out. And yet. And yet. The wild glory of Origin is the constant unpredictability. Here comes some more of it.

Cherry-Evans and Slater send Valentine Holmes over in the corner to make it 12-12. It needs a game-breaker, and Cherry-Evans is it. He’s been a will-o’-the-wisp all evening and he’s about to have his crowning moment.

Cameron Munster goes left, right, left again, creates a hole and Cherry-Evans latches onto a Gavin Cooper pass for an eight-metre sprint he may never forget. Only in his craziest dreams has Cherry-Evans scored under the black dot to get the Maroons home.

And here it is, in the flesh. No-one’s booing now or if they are, they’re being drowned out by the rapturous response to the local No 7. Slater is among the first to embrace him.

NSW players celebrate winning the 2018 State of Origin series.