An emotional and fired-up Billy Slater has hit back at controversial comments from former Blues forward Aaron Woods, warning people in privileged positions need to choose their words carefully given they can have lasting consequences.

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After being made to wait for his NSW counterparts at the final press conference in Perth ahead of Wednesday’s second State of Origin clash, Slater didn’t hold back in response to Woods who called the Queensland coach a “grub” for dropping veteran skipper Daly Cherry-Evans.

Slater he’d failed to take into consideration the impact of his words, even making a reference to Queensland’s “last coach” before him, Paul Green, who took his life in 2022, in calling out how personal attacks can hurt.

As a commentator himself, Slater said it was a “privilege” to be able to cast judgment on the game and others, and Woods missed the mark badly.

“When you degrade someone personally in a derogatory manner, you probably don’t deserve one of those privileged positions that you’re all in, that we’re all in,” an emotional Slater said, his comments earning wild applause from the crowd.

“Although I might be able to handle it, the next person mightn’t be.

“Maybe our last coach (Green) didn’t.

“When you hold a position in the media or in our game, I feel that’s a privilege and with that privilege comes a responsibility.

“I sit in that position most weeks and you amplify your voice to millions of people.

“You’re not talking to your mates in the pub.”

Woods is part of Triple M’s rebooted Sydney breakfast show which copped a whack in the new ratings, shed 1.5 per cent market share.

Slater added more heat to Woods and went as far as suggesting he was two-faced after a recent interaction between the pair.

“Now, I know Aaron Woods. I actually ran into him about three or four weeks ago at a footy game and he didn’t voice that opinion then.

“He actually brought his son over to introduce him to me and I get the attention in our game.

“I believe the character of a person is judged more on what they say about people and how they treat people than what an individual says to create attention about someone.

“I get that. Our game creates attention, but there’s a responsibility with that attention.”

Slater’s comments were met with applause from Queensland fans in the crowd and newly-appointed skipper Cameron Munster leaping to the defence of his former Storm teammate.

“When you’ve got a guy like Billy Slater as your coach and what he’s done in the game, it does hurt a little bit, especially the comments from someone in particular,” he said.

“At the end of the day, they’re in the media and we’ve got a lot of pressure on us at the moment. He is copping a lot of slack, but he’s doing everything he can.

“We need to stand up for him and we’ve got to do that tomorrow night.”

Queensland need to win the second Origin game to keep the series alive, and avoid a second-straight series loss.

Speaking on the Maroons’ squad for game two last week, Woods said: “Honestly, I cannot believe it.

“Kurt Mann will come onto the bench, Tom Dearden will start at halfback so they’ve dropped their skipper Daly Cherry-Evans. This hasn’t been done since Trevor Gillmeister in 1996.”

Woods particularly thought the selection bombshell was “so funny” given Slater’s infamous “we’re still Queenslanders” line when asked about making changes last year.

“To me that’s p**s poor form from Billy Slater,” Woods said.

“After game one in your press conference you said it wasn’t about the personnel, you said you didn’t play too well.

“You’ve come out and axed your captain Daly Cherry-Evans. You’ve said it wasn’t a scapegoat, but mate it’s a scapegoat.

“Everywhere you look you’re not used to getting hammered in the media. I think he did respond to backlash, the pressure and criticism got to Billy.

“He’s lost three (games) in a row, which is unheard of for Queensland, they’re going to Perth, which is a flat track for NSW.

“You look at this squad, Cherry-Evans should be there, I’ve heard his commentary around it that he got his chance in game one.

“Well, there should be a lot of other players that should be moved on too, because you look at guys like Harry Grant — he’s 0-6 starting at hooker. It’s very hard to play behind a forward pack that’s not going forward. You look at Moe Fotuaika, he had 39 metres in the first game.”

Woods didn’t stop there though with the two-time Dally M Prop of the Year calling Slater’s character into question — and suggesting he should be in the firing line if he loses this year’s series.

“It’s so funny because you watch these blokes up north and they say we don’t get Origin and they use this pick and stick mentality. Well Billy you’ve just turned on your skipper,” he said.

“I want to see the real Billy Slater come out — the grub that we know of. This is a bloke who kicked John Skandalis in the head and got a six-week suspension. Everyone wants to go ‘oh he’s such a nice bloke’.

“You’ve won your first two series’ as coach, you lost last series, you picked a side that we all thought NSW would win 13-plus — lucky NSW didn’t play well.

“If you lose this second series, does that mean you’re going to get sacked? Because Kevvie Walters got sacked after two series losses and he only coached four.

“There’s a lot of pressure on Billy Slater. I watched his body language in the press conference (after game one) and he not a man that is confident in what he’s doing at the moment.”