Former Queensland fullback Gary Belcher says there is no way the Maroons will play Greg Inglis at No.1 ahead of Billy Slater in this year’s State of Origin series.
To do so, according to Belcher who occupied the key position from 1986-93, would bust up the Maroons’ lethal left-side juggernaut of Inglis and Darius Boyd.
The pair scored five of Queensland’s eight tries in last year’s series.
Former NSW and Australian fullback Garry Jack is the latest league identity to come out and call for Inglis to push Slater to the wing for the Origin opener in Sydney on June 5.
“Like Mal (coach Mal Meninga) said, anyone who is suggesting that is not part of the Queensland set-up,” said Belcher after Inglis again starred at fullback for South Sydney on the weekend.
“It’s not going to happen.
“NSW are trying to figure out who is going to go in their team and we’ve got too many players at times in certain positions.
“We’ve got the two best in the position (fullback) at the moment but Billy Slater is not going to miss out on being Queensland’s fullback unless he is injured.”
That was the case when Inglis played fullback in the series’ deciding third game last year, won by Queensland with a late Cooper Cronk field goal.
Belcher, who took over the fullback’s baton from Queensland’s first custodian Colin Scott in 1986, scoring four tries in 16 appearances, said Inglis had become Origin’s greatest try scorer (18) playing in the centres.
“Darius Boyd has enjoyed amazing success playing outside GI,” he said.
“That combination has been fantastic and they cause the Blues so many headaches.
“GI gets better ball in Origin playing in the centres than he did playing club football.
“These are the tightest games we see but Queensland always seem to get the ball to Greg early and get him one-on-one, which is what you want to do with your best players.”
Queensland selectors are in a much better position than their NSW counterparts with their squad for the first game almost settled.
They only have to replace retired prop Petero Civoniceva, with Nate Myles’s excellent club form likely to see him promoted into the front-row alongside Matt Scott, leaving Dave Shillington and Ben Hannant fighting for a bench spot.
Corey Parker, Ben Barba, Ben Te’o, Matt Gillett and Dave Taylor are all in the interchange mix.
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