Under-siege Maroons coach Billy Slater silences doubters as bold selection calls pay off in Origin II

Coming off the most tumultuous 24 hours of his Origin coaching career, Maroons coach Billy Slater orchestrated a gritty win to justify his polarising selections and breathe fresh life into the Origin series.

Billy Slater overcame the most tumultuous 24 hours of his Origin coaching career by orchestrating an emphatic Queensland victory to silence his doubters and breathe life into the series.

The Maroons lifted for their under-siege coach in Perth on Wednesday night to stun the sloppy Blues 26-24 and send the series to a Sydney decider.

This was State of Origin at its finest.

Queensland was underdogs once again and with their backs against the walls. There is no place the Maroons would rather be.

They burst out of the blocks to a 26-6 halftime lead and hung on for a gritty victory against the surging Blues in typical Queensland fashion. And they did it for their coach.

Slater had come under fire from all angles in the past three weeks since Queensland’s disappointing 18-6 Game One loss to NSW at Suncorp Stadium.

Billy Slater silenced his doubters with a gritty win. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Staring down the barrel of back-to-back series defeats, Slater axed captain and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans in one of the most polarising selection decisions in Queensland’s 45-year Origin history.

Slater was labelled a “grub” by former Blues prop Aaron Woods and had his coaching credentials questioned despite winning two of three previous series in charge of Queensland.

If debate over his team wasn’t enough, Slater created an even bigger controversy on match eve when he referenced the death of former Maroons coach Paul Green in a press conference when responding to Woods’ sledge.

The comments caught fire and on the morning of his 42nd birthday, Slater called Green’s widow Amanda to apologise and then held a snap press conference.

It was a remarkable scene of events just hours before a must-win Origin game.

Slater looked rattled and it seemed like another unnecessary distraction for the desperate Maroons under enormous pressure to snap a three-game losing streak.

“It hasn’t influenced how I look at myself or who I am as a person,” Slater said of the controversy.

“I’m very comfortable with who I am. I know who I am and who these guys are.

“There’s been a real togetherness about the group. Everyone is a member of this footy team.

“That’s what Queenslanders do – they do it together. When something happens they all pull together and look after each other, whether it’s a flood, cyclone or bush fire.

“They all pull together and help each other out.”

The Maroons produced a memorable win in Perth. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

The Maroons had been comprehensively outplayed since beating a 12-man Blues in the opening game of the 2024 series.

Queensland was dreadful in this year’s series-opener at Suncorp Stadium, suffering back-to-back defeats in Brisbane for the first time in 27 years.

Slater could have made numerous changes to his team but resisted.

He backed his judgment and dropped bench debutant Beau Fermor and Cherry-Evans in favour of Tom Dearden at halfback, but showed faith in 15 others.

Recalled forward Kurt Capewell was a controversial selection but stood up in the Origin furnace with a spirited performance. Debutant utility Kurt Mann did the same.

Slater made two bold decisions to bench Game One stars Jeremiah Nanai and Pat Carrigan, but it proved to be a masterstroke.

The Maroons delivered for their coach in Perth. Picture: Colin Murty / AFP

The unheralded Trent Loiero was a rock starting at lock. Reuben Cotter switched edges and was inspirational.

Slater was always one to back himself during his glorious playing career and he has shown the same fortitude in the Queensland coaches’ box.

His players took notice and delivered for their coach.

“Obviously the pressure and all the criticism that Billy Slater has been getting for us and we’re just glad we played for him tonight,” man of the match and new Queensland captain Cameron Munster said.

“He deserves everything. He loves Queensland, loves this group, and I’m just proud of our boys to turn up for him, because there’s been a lot of speculation in the media and we need to turn up for our coach tonight, and we f … ing did.”

The Maroons can now deliver Slater the ultimate satisfaction by winning back the Origin shield in Sydney on July 9.

Nothing would be sweeter for Slater.

Originally published as Under-siege Maroons coach Billy Slater silences doubters as bold selection calls pay off in Origin II