State of Origin: Are Billy Slater’s selection calls enough for Maroons to strike back in decider

There’s a fear that Queensland’s changes for Origin III have nothing to do with them and everything to do with Michael Maguire and the Blues, DAVID RICCIO writes.

Billy Slater named a bunch of Queenslanders from Queensland on Monday that will join the Queensland team for the first time this series.

The rock-solid Queenslanders, that if you haven’t heard before, all come from Queensland, have little choice to do what Queensland have led us to believe that they never do, which is, to ring in the changes.

In Queensland too, of all places.

Putting aside the banter that stemmed from Slater’s quirky “we’re all Queenslanders” line after Origin II, the seriousness of the situation is this.

Queensland’s changes have nothing to do with them and everything to do with Michael Maguire’s NSW Blues, who bashed and bullied the Maroons into oblivion in Origin II.

The job for NSW is to do it again.

Slater spent last weekend finalising a side that he wants to see fight fire with fire, triggering the promise of a brutal Suncorp Stadium decider of which we haven’t witnessed in years.

An edgy Slater knows what everyone saw in game two, including one of the greatest to ever wear the Maroons jersey, Gorden Tallis.

Maroons saviours: (clockwise from top left) Dane Gagai, Josh Papalii, David Fifita and Felise Kaufusi.

My NRL 360 mate went where it pained him to go last Wednesday night on the show when he suggested the Maroons pick up the phone to Raiders veteran and Maroons legend Josh Papalii.

Viewers at home could’ve been excused for thinking Gordie had missed the memo; that Papali’i, 32, retired from the Origin arena prior to last year’s series.

So on Friday, I phoned Gordie to double-check his view: “I said it because firstly I believe in it and secondly, even Stevie Wonder could see we were bullied in game two.”

Gordie knew exactly what he was saying and more importantly, who would be listening.

This is what he said.

“We got beaten up in the forwards. (We need) Josh Papalii,” Gordie said.

“I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, there’s a phone call that needs to be made down to Canberra to say ‘can you have 20 minutes for us.

“I’ve never seen (Papali'i) get bullied and I don’t think he’s ever let Queensland down, he’s sitting there, we’re light on in the forwards.

“I would ring him and say ‘can you play 20 minutes for our state.”

Papalii was still being discussed by the Maroons hierarchy as an option right up until Sunday afternoon.

Combination photo of Dane Gagai’s attack on Matt Burton in game III of the 2022 series. Source: Twitter

Without injured trio Thomas Flegler, Tom Gilbert and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Gordie is looking for a menace to handle the likes of Payne Haas and Angus Crichton, who left tread marks across the back of Daly Cherry-Evans in game two.

Forward Felise Kaufusi has it in him. Pat Carrigan too.

Dane Gagai, an Origin specialist, has been chosen for that reason also.

Gagai’s last Origin appearance was in game three of the 2022 series, when he punched NSW player Matt Burton in the head.

Queensland are about to react to what the Blues did to them in Origin II.

They have no other choice.

You get the sense the Blues won’t care, such is the stability within the NSW camp and cocoon of belief that Maguire has created across the squad.

Indeed, there’s a feeling from within NSW that cares less about the side Queensland picks and are more apprehensive about the impact of the referee, which in two of the past three deciding matches at Suncorp Stadium, has wielded more penalties and set-restarts to the team from Queensland.