State of Origin teams for game 3: Maroons lock in team that can dominate for a decade

The pain is only just starting for the embattled Blues with Maroons coach Billy Slater naming a youthful side that is ready to build a dynasty. See full squad

Corey Horsburgh will make his Origin debut. Picture: Getty

Maroons legend Paul Vautin says Billy Slater can inflict another painful decade on NSW as the Queensland coach warned his side will not be complacent in a ruthless quest for a 3-0 ‘Blue Rinse’ in Origin III.

It’s been 15 years since Mal Meninga’s marauders of 2010 completed a clean sweep and Slater says the Maroons want to bury the Blues on Sydney soil at Accor Stadium on Wednesday week.

While the embattled Blues have been forced to wield the axe again, Slater is settled, making just two injury-enforced changes to his squad which wrapped up the series with a 32-6 drubbing in Game Two.

Raiders lock Corey Horsburgh will make his Origin debut replacing Tom Flegler (foot), while AJ Brimson will return to the Queensland fold in the No.1 jumper following Reece Walsh’s suspension.

In Origin’s 43-year history, Queensland have won 3-0 just four times in 1988-89, 1995 and 2010, demonstrating the difficulty of sweeping the Blues in a single series.

Slater was a member of the most recent Queensland outfit to achieve that feat – the class of 2010 also won Game Three in Sydney – and now, as Maroons mentor, he says his team is not satisfied yet.

Queensland coach Billy Slater says the Maroons are only just getting started in their dominance of State of Origin.

“This team is only just getting started — they aren’t at the destination right now,” said Slater, who was man-of-the-match in Queensland’s 23-18 defeat of NSW to complete a Blue Rinse in 2010.

“The challenge of playing NSW in Origin is a big challenge, they aren’t easy, but the (Origin shield) is in Queensland for another 12 months.

“But there’s another game, we have to go down to NSW and if we earn the result it will be a clean sweep.

“To be honest, this team has created a great foundation and they are still seeking improvement and a higher level of footy.

“Our focus is how do we manage to be better ... how do we bring out more strengths in our game (in Origin III).”

Vautin, one of the few Queensland coaches to conjure a 3-0 whitewash with his ‘Neville Nobodies’ miracle of 1995, believes Slater can emulate Meninga, who won nine of 10 series between 2006-15.

“I am really excited for the next era of Queensland rugby league, these blokes can build a dynasty,” Vautin said.

Former Maroons coach Paul Vautin believes Billy Slater can build another Queensland dynasty.

“We have a coaching staff of Origin champions in Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, plus Josh Hannay does a brilliant job.

“And most of all, Queensland have a bunch of players who can grow into superstars together.

“They are young and brilliant.

“They have some older heads in (Cameron) Munster and Daly (Cherry-Evans), but they can be together for a long, long time and the scary thing for NSW is kids like Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo and Jeremiah Nanai will only get better and better with age.

“Billy is doing a great job bringing it all together – he’s honestly one of the best football brains I have ever seen, which is scary for NSW.”

In a tactical switch, Slater will start with Harry Grant at hooker ahead of Ben Hunt in Origin III, giving the Storm star a chance to terrorise the Blues from the opening minutes.

“The one thing that hasn’t changed is that Hunt and Grant are our two number nines,” he said.

“We feel this is a good opportunity for Harry to start the game and bring ‘Hunty’ off the bench.

“It might look like a big change but in the scheme of things they are both hookers, they complement each other well and they will be both on the paddock at some stage.”

Raiders ironman Corey Horsburgh will make his debut in Origin III.

Slater backed Raiders firebrand Horsburgh, Queensland’s ninth debutant in six games, to relish his Origin baptism off the bench.

“There is a reason why Corey was in the squad in Game Two,” Slater said.

“He has been impressive throughout the season and has built some great habits in his game.

“You can see when guys have had a good pre-season and Corey has had that. He has played over 70 minutes each week and the Raiders coaching staff have done a great job with him.

“I saw his enthusiasm throughout the 10-day camp and I said, ‘Geez, I’d love to give that guy an opportunity when it arises’.

“Corey has knuckled down on his footy and that’s the reason why he has earned the opportunity for Queensland.”

Maroons confirmed: Shock twist in Billy’s Game III side

It’s official. Billy Slater has injected two fresh faces into the Maroons side by handing Raiders firebrand Corey Horsburgh his Origin debut and AJ Brimson the No.1 jersey to help Queensland plot a ruthless 3-0 clean sweep of the Blues in Game Three.

This masthead can reveal Horsburgh will finally live out his Queensland dream as Maroons coach Billy Slater swaps one red-head for another following the loss of Tom Flegler (foot) for Origin III at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Wednesday week.

Slater made one other change, with Titans backline dynamo Brimson named to start at fullback after Reece Walsh copped a three-game ban for swearing at an NRL referee.

Horsburgh’s Origin baptism underlines the ‘Billy’s Babes’ youth policy Slater is driving in pursuit of another glorious Mal Meninga-style Maroons dynasty.

Nicknamed ‘Big Red’, the Caboolture tearaway is the ninth debutant to be blooded by Slater in six Origin games, joining Walsh, Tom Gilbert, Tom Dearden, Murray Taulagi, Jeremiah Nanai, Pat Carrigan, Reuben Cotter and Selwyn Cobbo.

In a surprise move, Slater named Harry Grant to start at hooker over Ben Hunt who wore the No.9 in the first two victories.

For Horsburgh, his Maroons call-up caps a courageous fightback after fearing he could be forced into an early retirement just three years ago.

Corey Horsburgh will make his Origin debut. Picture: Getty

Now 25, the Canberra workhorse badly tore ligaments in his foot against Parramatta in 2020. After being selected as Queensland’s 19th man for Origin II a fortnight ago, Horsburgh conceded he wasn’t sure if he would ever be the same player again.

It is a testament to his work ethic that he has returned a better player. Now he is a fully-fledged Origin star.

“I wasn’t really the same for a period there,” Horsburgh said upon entering Camp Maroon for Queensland’s 32-6 thumping of the Blues in Origin II.

“I thought I might never get to where I was again.

“I ran into a few more injuries after that.

“I just couldn’t quite get on my feet, then one off-season I thought, ‘Screw it I am just going to work really hard in the off-season’.

“That is kind of when my body started to come good.

“I am happy I stuck at it. I am a pretty dedicated person. I was never going to give up.

“As a kid that was all I wanted to do, play for Queensland, so it would be very special to one day play Origin.

“If I finally get a crack, I know what I have to do.”

AJ Brimson has been called into the squad. Picture: Getty

Horsburgh is likely to come off the bench in Origin III, with Cotter an option to start at prop alongside Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, while Nanai can partner David Fifita in the back row.

Big Red has produced the best football of his career this season to play a key role in Canberra (10-6) winning nine of their last 11 games to surge into fifth spot after 18 rounds.

Horsburgh, who has played 76 NRL games, has the versatility to play in the middle or on an edge and his numbers for the Raiders this season have been exceptional.

The tireless No.13 is averaging 117 metres and 37 tackles this season and sealed his selection with a staggering 55 tackles on Saturday against the Titans – the third consecutive week he has notched a half-century in defence.

“Corey doesn’t get much closer than where he is,” Slater said after choosing Horsburgh in his extended squad for Origin II.

“The next step is being in the team and we don’t put people in 18 and 19 for the sake of it.

“You have to earn it and Corey has done it through the habits he has built in his game.

“They (Horsburgh and Brimson) aren’t here in the squad to make up the numbers if anything happens.

“We will have confidence in them to play for Queensland.”

In other selection news, Eels ironman J’maine Hopgood has been rewarded for an impressive season at Parramatta with the 24-year-old named as Queensland’s 19th man for Origin III.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will remain in the centres, leaving Brimson as the front-runner to fill the Walsh fullback void and end his two-year exile from the Queensland team.

Originally published as State of Origin teams for game 3: Maroons lock in team that can dominate for a decade