Queensland coach Billy Slater is keeping his cards close to his chest heading into the State of Origin series opener - especially when it comes to the position he won countless series in for the Maroons.
Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga are locked in a battle for the No.1 jumper when the series kicks off on May 31st in Adelaide, with both players staking genuine claims to the all-important spot.
Following the team announcement on May 22nd, it has now been confirmed that Ponga has been axed from the Maroons lineup for the opener, with Walsh named in the No.1 jumper.
Brisbane's superstar recruit has been electric early in the 2023 campaign, scoring four tries and producing 13 try assists in 11 appearances for one of the NRL front-runners.
On the other hand, Ponga had a slow start to season as he missed games with concussion, although a dominant performance in Newcastle's Round 11 win over the Titans put him back in the hunt.
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AJ Brimson's recent hamstring injury has ruled him out of the race, while in-form Dolphins fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has been named in the centres.
Speaking to the media ahead of Magic Round, Slater admitted there were some tough calls to be made in the next few weeks around multiple positions in the QLD Origin lineup.
“There’s pressure on me and the selectors to select the right people," he said.
"I do my due diligence, I watch more football than I could imagine anyone - and I watch our players.
"That’s my job to make sure I understand what they are outlaying each week, and whether that’s something that Queensland needs in their side.
“We’ll make that decision in three weeks – it’s premature to make it now. A lot of things can happen in the next three weeks like they have happened in the last three weeks.
"We’ve got a duty to Queensland to give them the best possible team that we think will go out there and play their best footy."
Reece Walsh vs Kalyn Ponga 2023 stats
| Reece Walsh | Kalyn Ponga | |
| Games | 11 | 6 |
| Tries | 4 | 2 |
| Try Assists | 13 | 5 |
| Linebreak Assists | 14 | 6 |
| Linebreaks | 8 | 2 |
| Tackle Breaks | 61 | 13 |
| Avg. Run Metres | 152m | 89m |
Will Kalyn Ponga play for Queensland in State of Origin?
After struggling for game time early this year, Ponga has been left out of the side for the series opener.
The 25-year-old has already played seven games for Queensland and helped lead the side to an upset victory in last year's series, but has been down on form and had concerns with injury and concussion in the past 18 months.
Ponga's performance in Round 11 against the Titans was a timely reminder to Queensland selectors and looked set to put him in the box-seat, but a loss in Round 12 was enough to see him lose his spot.
When quizzed on whether loyalty could factor into Slater's decision around the fullback role, he admitted there was more than meets the eye when it comes to Ponga's potential inclusion.
“It counts – everyone talks about loyalty, but there’s a few things that go into that," he said.
"It’s about doing the job in the past and it’s also about instilling the habits in your current game.
"People talk about form, but it’s showing the habits in the current game, whether it’s a month or two months of football, that Queensland can trust that those are the habits you will bring into it.
"You can’t just flick a switch and turn it on, it’s really hard to do that, so it’s important to be playing well.
"Kalyn has just got to play football. He has played two full games of rugby league in about 10 months. His priority is to get back and play some football and he has got a couple of games under his belt now.
"He has got to get back and feel the rhythm and enjoy himself."
Will Reece Walsh play for Queensland in State of Origin?
Despite less than 50 games of first grade experience to his name and still not legally able to drink in the United States, the 20-year-old whiz kid has forced his way into Slater's side on form alone.
Walsh has been among the competition's best players across the opening nine rounds, helping lead the Broncos to the top of the ladder and cementing them as title contenders.
Slater believes there is plenty more evolution in Walsh's game in the next decade, but admitted the fullback has all the attributes necessary to succeed in the Origin arena.
“He’s got many more stages to his career and he’s only scratching the surface," the Maroons coach said.
"We see all the shiny bright stuff that Reece does and I can see underneath that. I can see development that he is putting into his game and the position that he plays, and he is doing a wonderful job.
"He’s setting up that foundation to be a 10 or 15-year player, and a consistent player. He’s had a great start to the year and he’s another guy where it’s going to come down to opportunity.
"He is building that capability in his game to play Origin, but he has got to be capable when the opportunity comes as well."
