It was too much for Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters trying to explain to the media why legend Billy Slater was left out of Origin One tomorrow week.
What Walters said didn’t make sense, but then he wasn’t in any condition to make a sensible comment anyway.
Sure Slater missed the entire Origin series last year with a shoulder injury, but he’s been back on Melbourne Storm duty for the last two months and proving to the rugby league world he’s still got what it takes to be the best fullback on the planet.
All except the selectors.
“It was very difficult to leave him out, but Darius Boyd was the award-winning fullback last year, and was one of the best Kangaroos in reclaiming the Four Nations title,” said Walters.
“And both wingers Corey Oates and Dane Gagai were superb in the last Origin series and neither deserved to be overlooked,” Walters added.
For starters, Billy Slater is by far the best footballer compared to Boyd, Oates, and Gagai so it defies description how he wasn’t named in the number one jersey.
Boyd would then be one winger where he’s played before when Slater was fit, so either Oates or Gagai would miss out.
That makes far more sense than Slater missing out.
There’s another train of thought that chairman Gene Miles, who has been a Queensland selector for 17 years, voted with Darren Lockyer to leave Slater out with Walters wanting him to play.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
If there’s any substance to that theory it’s another valid reason to have the Origin coach Walters as the sole selector.
It’s his neck if anything goes wrong, even more unfair if he’s been over-ruled at the selection table, and subsequently gets the boot.
There’s another weird choice with Valentine Holmes earning five Kangaroo caps on the wing, but being yet to make his Origin debut.
One thing for sure, NSW coach Laurie Daley must have thought he’d won the lottery without a ticket there’s no Billy Salter, and probably no Johnathan Thurston who has been named 18th man trying to overcome a shoulder injury sustained in the Anzac Day Test against the Kiwis.
Off setting those two pluses, the NSW selectors missed a golden opportunity of choosing two blistering express centres in Michael Jennings and James Roberts by naming Josh Dugan and Jarryd Hayne.
James Tedesco, Blake Ferguson, Jennings, Roberts and Hayne on the wing with a roving brief would have given NSW a huge advantage in sheer speed.
Despite missing out on such an advantage, NSW can win this Origin opener with a vastly different Mitchell Pearce back in business, uniting with James Maloney as the playmaking pivots they were at the Roosters before Maloney switched to the Sharks.
That experience will be invaluable.
So too the selection of Boyd Cordner as the new skipper, filling the big shoes of Paul Gallen.
Cordner has shown at the Roosters he’s totally at home in the leadership role.
And even though Origin is a vastly different arena, Cordner has all the necessary qualifications.
The NSW squad:
1 – James Tedesco.
2 – Blake Ferguson.
3 – Josh Dugan,
4 – Jarryd Hayne.
5 – Brett Morris.
6 – James Maloney.
7 – Mitchell Pearce.
13 – Aaron Woods.
12 – Nathan Peats.
11 – Andrew Fifita.
10 – Josh Jackson.
9 – Boyd Cordner.(c)
8 – Tyson Frizell.
Interchange:
David Klemmer,
Wade Graham
Jake Trbojevic,
Jack Bird
18th man – Matt Moylan
19th – Jordan McLean.
20th – Jack de Belin.
The Queensland squad:
1 – Darius Boyd.
2 – Corey Oates.
3 – Will Chambers.
4 – Justin O’Neill.
5 – Dane Gagai.
6 – Anthony Milford.
7 – Cooper Conk.
13 – Dylan Napa.
12 – Cameron Smith (c).
11 – Nate Myles.
10 – Josh Papalli
9 – Matt Gillett.
8 – Josh McGuire.
Interchange:
Michael Morgan
Sam Thaiday
Aidan Guerra
Jacob Lillyman
18th man – Johnathan Thurston.
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