Queensland have prided themselves on loyalty over the years but after a humbling loss on home soil in State of Origin I, coach Billy Slater is expected to make some big changes.
All eyes will be on what he does with the spine, particularly his captain and veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans.
The 36-year-old has often been one of Queensland’s best but didn’t deliver when they needed him most in game one.
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There’s been reports suggesting he is set to be dropped ahead of game two but whether Slater will make a call as big as that is questionable.
The forward pack were exposed by the Blues’ big boys and there’s expected to be some movement there too, while the bench could look entirely different come Origin II.
Check out foxsports.com.au’s Queensland positional state of play below.
‘What Origin is’ – Billy facing the axe? | 02:09
1. KALYN PONGA
Verdict: Safe
The Knights skipper hasn’t been lighting it up in club land and Ponga struggled to leave his mark on the Origin series opener.
But unlike the Blues who are stacked at fullback, there’s nobody knocking down the door to put pressure on Ponga.
Broncos superstar Reece Walsh returns this week but Slater isn’t expected to pick his 2024 fullback after just one game in seven weeks.
Slater made that mistake with hooker Harry Grant, who came into the series underdone and produced one of the worst games of his career.
Dolphins No. 1 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is another option at fullback but the Maroons are thin on quality centres, where he played in game one.
2. XAVIER COATES
Verdict: Safe
Coates was Queensland’s best player in the series opener, scoring his state’s only try and would have finished with two if Brian To’o hadn’t tackled him in the air. The Storm star ran for 154 metres from 18 carries that produced three tackle busts and a linebreak.
3. ROBERT TOIA
Verdict: Safe
Rob Toia bolted into the Queensland side as the first NRL rookie picked in Origin for 30 years and he repaid the faith with a solid debut.
The 20-year-old didn’t look out of place in game one as he held his own in defence and made just the one mistake in attack.
Toia dummied when he should have passed to his unmarked winger in the first half, but he’ll be sure to keep his spot with Slater not exactly spoiled for choice in the centres.
Slater: “Attitude wasn’t good enough” | 03:19
4. HAMISO TABUAI-FIDOW
Verdict: Safe
The ‘Hammer’ produced his worst Origin performance in game one after being given a bath in the first half by Blues centre Stephen Crichton.
In attack he still ran for 101 metres from 11 carries but struggled to leave his mark on the game with the ball in hand.
Tabuai-Fidow will also hold his spot because the only real option to replace him is 34-year-old Dane Gagai and that seems unlikely.
5. VALENTINE HOLMES
Verdict: Under pressure
This Maroons veteran could be one of the biggest casualties of the game one loss after a night to forget at Suncorp Stadium.
Holmes produced three errors at crucial times and let in two tries, but he did run for 118 metres from 18 carries.
The options to replace him are Selwyn Cobbo (Broncos), Murray Taulagi (Cowboys), Dane Gagai (Knights), Xavier Savage (Raiders) and Alofiana Khan-Pereira (Titans).
Taulagi would’ve been in the mix for game one had a calf injury not ruled him out. But the Cowboys flyer is tracking to return this week and a big game for him may be enough to force Slater’s hand.
6. CAMERON MUNSTER
Verdict: Safe
A forgettable night in the series opener for the Maroons No. 6, who fell off nine tackles, but this is Cameron Munster we’re talking about.
The Storm superstar has won Origins for Queensland off his own bat and it would take a lot more than one poor performance for him to get dropped.
Munster isn’t going anywhere but we can’t say the same about his halves partner.
“I would love to be back!” DCE on Origin | 09:45
7. DALY CHERRY-EVANS
Verdict: Under pressure
This is the biggest call of Slater’s coaching career.
Father Time is undefeated and for the first time in his career, Cherry-Evans looks his age.
The 36-year-old has been struggling for Manly since announcing he’d be leaving the club and that form carried into game one.
The oldest man ever to play Origin is now in the football fight of his life to keep his jersey, with Kangaroos playmaker Tom Dearden hot on his heels.
It would be an enormous call to axe Cherry-Evans, who has captained Queensland since 2020 and represented his state 26 times since 2013.
Several former Origin stars have called for the axe to fall on DCE but Slater has long spoken about loyalty being embedded in the Queensland spirit.
One thing for certain: if they go down 2-0 in the series, then Cherry-Evans’ decorated representative career will be over.
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8. MOEAKI FOTUAIKA
Verdict: Under pressure
An underwhelming performance in Origin I will have Slater rethinking his pack.
Fotuaika scored one of the coveted starting positions up front but failed to give Queensland the go-forward they needed, finishing the game with just four runs for 39 metres. He was busy in defence, making 31 tackles — including a couple of big ones on Blues five-eighth Mitch Moses — but he also came up with some costly errors.
Corey Horsburgh was unlucky to miss out on selection for game one and will once again be in the selection conversation. His chances should increase this time off the back of Fotuaika’s performance.
9. HARRY GRANT
Verdict: Safe
Grant had one of his worst games to date in Origin I but the reality is he’s one of the safest players in the team.
Grant went into the series opener underdone, having played just one game over five weeks prior to Origin.
The star hooker missed Rounds 7-10 due to a hamstring injury before returning — but playing just 55 minutes — in the Storm’s Round 11 loss to the Sharks.
That’s all Slater needed to see to pick the 27-year-old, but it was clear that he had barely played in the month leading up to the series.
Grant sat out of the Storm’s clash with the Titans last weekend, meaning he’ll just have Friday’s game against the Cowboys to find his form again before teams for game two are picked.
He’ll be in the 17, the only question mark is over whether he will start or come off the bench.
‘Worst 40 mins I’ve ever seen him play’ | 05:18
10. TINO FA’ASUAMALEAUI
Verdict: Safe
It was far from his best performance in Origin I, but Queensland are a better and more intimidating side with Fa’asuamaleaui on deck.
Big Tino’s running metres (102) came in well below his season average in club land (136), while he also gave away a penalty and forced an offload which led to an intercept. He didn’t exactly step up to play the enforcer role either.
Regardless, Queenslanders can expect to see the towering forward named to start again for game two.
11. REUBEN COTTER
Verdict: Safe
Reuben Cotter’s spot in the 17 is safe — but there’s question marks over whether he’s best used on an edge. The Cowboys star was a defensive workhorse in game one, finishing with 44 tackles and no misses, but didn’t offer a whole lot of spark in attack.
Queensland legend Gorden Tallis floated the idea of Cotter starting at hooker to take the sting out of the game and then bringing Grant off the bench.
Cotter started his NRL career at hooker so it wouldn’t be an unfamiliar role. He plays lock in clubland but has also played plenty of games at prop — including the first two games of last year’s Origin series.
If Slater was to shift Cotter, the door would’ve opened up for Jaydn Su’A to return to the side, however a fresh ankle injury suffered on the weekend will rule him out.
The 27-year-old has been in good form for the Dragons this season and some pundits were shocked he was overlooked for game one.
12. JEREMIAH NANAI
Verdict: Safe
Like many of his teammates, Nanai was far from his best in game one, but the Cowboys star did come up with some big effort plays that forced errors.
Nanai brings X-factor and a try-scoring ability that’s better than most second-rowers in the game — he’s scored five tries in his past six games for the Cowboys.
When he’s on he’s almost unstoppable, which is why Slater will likely keep him in the team and starting.
13. PATRICK CARRIGAN
Verdict: Safe
Despite playing prop for the Broncos this season, Pat Carrigan returned to lock in game one for Queensland and was one of the Maroons’ best.
He finished with the highest run metres for a Queensland forward (110) and also made the most tackles of any player on the field with 45 — although he did miss six.
The No.13 jersey will be Carrigan’s come game two… unless Slater reshuffles his pack and moves the 27-year-old to prop. In which case, the likes ofKurt Mann and Corey Horsburgh would come into the frame, or Fa’asuamaleaui could shift to the position in which he dominates at club level.
‘QLD’s weakness’ – Leniu kick-off debate | 02:54
14. TOM DEARDEN
Verdict: Safe
The only danger Dearden has of losing his jumper is if it’s for an upgrade to the starting side at Daly Cherry-Evans’ expense.
The Cowboys star tried hard to spark the Maroons when he came into game one in the 54th minute but couldn’t get anyone to go with him.
Origin legend Andrew Johns declared after the game that he believes Dearden needs to come into the starting side.
The most obvious replacement in the No. 14 jersey is Bulldogs utility Mann, who has played literally every position in the NRL.
It would be a dream debut for the 32-year-old journeyman, who was 18th Man in the series opener.
15. LINDSAY COLLINS
Verdict: Safe
Collins was the best off the bench for Queensland in the series opener with 73 metres from eight carries, while also making 19 tackles and missing just one.
Fotuaika is under pressure to hold his starting spot after an underwhelming performance, which could see Collins named in the No. 8 jumper.
16. BEAU FERMOR
Verdict: Under pressure
Not a bad debut but Slater must find room in his 17 for Raiders firebrand Horsburgh and it’ll likely be either Fermor or Trent Loeiro making way.
17. TRENT LOIERO
Verdict: Under pressure
In the same boat as Fermor — a reasonable debut without lighting the world on fire, but the Storm forward could be the odd man out.
The other contenders to come onto the bench are J’maine Hopgood, Felise Kaufusi, Selwyn Cobbo, Kurt Capewell and Kobe Hetherington.
But it will all come down to the make-up of the rest of the bench.
POSSIBLE NEW QUEENSLAND TEAM… IF SLATER PULLS TRIGGER ON CHANGES
1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Xavier Coates
3. Robert Toia
4. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
5. Murray Taulagi**
6. Cameron Munster
7. Tom Dearden*
8. Lindsay Collins*
9. Harry Grant
10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
11. Reuben Cotter
12. Jeremiah Nanai
13. Pat Carrigan
14. Kurt Mann**
15. Moeaki Fotuaika*
16. Beau Fermor
17. Corey Horsburgh**
Dropped: Valentine Holmes, Daly-Cherry-Evans, Trent Loiero.
*Changed position
**New selection
