He has retired from representative football but that didn’t stop the same Australia selectors who handed Billy Slater the Wally Lewis Medal from naming the veteran full-back ahead of James Tedesco in a Kangaroos Origin merit team on Saturday night.
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga and his fellow selectors Darren Lockyer and Laurie Daley caused outrage by naming Slater man of the series despite playing just two games in a series won by the NSW Blues.
Tedesco, winger Tom Trbojevic, skipper Boyd Cordner and hooker Damien Cook were among the NSW players many judges thought deserved the honour ahead of Slater.
That quartet was among 12 Blues players to dominate the 17-man squad, which was picked solely on Origin form, with Slater’s heir apparent Tedesco named on the interchange bench.
MORE: Sterlo reveals his biggest concern about the struggling Eels | Trent Barrett blows up over several calls in Sea Eagles' narrow loss to Storm |
"We made the decision as coach and selectors that Billy was the outstanding player of the series but James wasn’t far behind him and that is why he is in the squad,” Meninga told News Limited.
“With Billy making that decision (to retire from rep footy), we believe James is the next (number) one.”
Meninga added of the decision to name 12 Blues players in the side.
“They make up the majority of the merit team because they deserve it.” he told NRL.com.
“Freddy had them humming as a group and as a team, and that is why they won the series, because 17 players made really good contributions.”
“What will be interesting is how well they handle the next eight weeks or so because a lot of them haven’t experienced three games of Origin and having to back up after games.”
Seven potential Test debutants - Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic, Josh Addo-Carr, Latrell Mitchell, Jack de Belin, Paul Vaughan and Cook – were named in the merit squad announced on Saturday night.
Slater, David Klemmer, Tyson Frizell, Cordner and Maroons forward Josh McGuire are the only survivors from the Kangaroos squad that beat England 6-0 December’s Rugby League World Cup final.
The Kangaroos’ next game is against New Zealand in Auckland on October 14.
Kangaroos Origin Merit Team:
1.Billy Slater (QLD), 2. Tom Trbojevic (NSW), 3. Greg Inglis (QLD), 4. Latrell Mitchell (NSW), 5. Josh Addo-Carr (NSW), 6. Cameron Munster (QLD), 7. James Maloney (NSW), 8. David Klemmer (NSW), 9. Damien Cook (NSW), 10. Josh McGuire (QLD), 11. Boyd Cordner (NSW), 12. Tyson Frizell (NSW), 13. Jake Trbojevic (NSW).
Interchange: 14. James Tedesco (NSW), 15. Jack De Belin (NSW), 16. Josh Papalii (QLD), 17. Paul Vaughan (NSW).
