New South Wales coach Brad Fittler and his Queensland counterpart Billy Slater both stunned with some of their selections on Monday.
Both states will blood debutants in Adelaide on Wednesday next week but it’s who they haven’t picked which has caused the most drama.
There’s no two ways about it – the criticism will come thick and fast for the losing coach on the back of these selection calls.
Here are the biggest talking points to come out of the State of Origin team announcements.
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FITTLER’S TURBO-CHARGED ‘GAMBLE’
Tom Trbojevic’s fitness has been one of the biggest talking points of the season.
Manly sent him over to the USA to work with reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles to fix his nagging hamstring injuries.
A lot of that work was on his running technique — particularly how to change direction at pace — and he’s taken a good couple of months to settle into the adjustments recommended by Knowles.
There were question marks over Trbojevic’s selection chances as recent as last week. He’s had a slow start to the season with Manly and at times has looked hindered when running.
But a statement performance against the Raiders on Sunday alleviated any major concerns from the Blues selectors and cemented his spot in the centres. Trbojevic bagged a hat-trick, set up a try, got three linebreaks, three linebreak assists, nine tackle busts and ran for 185 metres in easily his best game of the season.
The workload will be less at centre for the Blues compared to fullback with the Sea Eagles, but Fittler conceded his decision was “a gamble”.
“We always considered Tommy fit and available,” he said.
“You talk about gambles — you’ve just got to gamble that he’s going to be ready. Very rarely has he ever let us down… (we had him in with) a very heavy lead pencil, very dark.”
Turbo responds to Origin doubters | 05:14
BILLY FIRM ON SHOCK FULLBACK CALL
There’s no doubt Reece Walsh has been in better form than Kalyn Ponga this season, but his selection for Queensland might have still raised a few eyebrows. Fullback is one of the most important positions on the field and Queensland will run out a 20-year-old debutant, who hasn’t notched up 50 NRL games yet.
Ponga was man of the match in game three last year, in fact Slater admitted on Monday there was no player “more influential” on the 2022 result than him.
But ultimately, it’s understood, his disrupted start to the season and history of head knocks played a part in his omission.
Slater was grilled over the decision by reporters on Monday but he was stern in saying: “I’m really comfortable that this is the right decision.”
He didn’t give much away on the call but said “it’s about everything” and “we take everything into consideration.”
Slater has full confidence in Walsh after seeing him carve up for the Broncos. He also knows that he’s clearly more ready than what he was when he was meant to make his debut in 2021 — after just seven NRL games.
“Reece Walsh has been playing fantastic football. I’ve watched him closer than most people and he’s in a really good place,” Slater said.
“There’s a lot more to Reece Walsh than what we see on the surface. He’s got a great work ethic, if you ever watch him play live he’s moving a lot without getting in the picture.
His game is in a good place — it’s going to get even better — but it’s in a good place.”
“I believe there’s two things you need to play Origin. For us as Queensland, the first thing is to be capable and the second thing is you need an opportunity.
“To be fair, I think Reece probably got his opportunity before he got that capability in his game.
“He didn’t get to play because of his hamstring but now he’s a much more capable player, he’s a much more rounded player.”
MORE ORIGIN NEWS
NSW TEAM: Freddy’s bombshell selection call as Blues halves battle settled… for now
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WINNERS & LOSERS: Biggest casualty of Turbo call; shock bolters in Freddy shake-up
WINNERS & LOSERS: Wayne’s last laugh; Slater’s call reveals harsh Origin reality
BLUES ABANDON ONE-TWO PUNCH
Fittler first adopted the two-hooker approach in game three, 2021 when he started Damien Cook and debuted Api Koroisau off the bench.
He ditched it in the 2022 series opener, with Stephen Crichton instead filling the bench utility role only to revert for game two — but instead start Koroisau. It worked a treat with NSW comprehensively beating Queensland 44-12. So he stuck with it for the decider but Queensland sprung an upset.
Fittler has now gone back to just one specialist hooker in the 17 with Koroisau getting the nod, despite the Wests Tigers skipper play 80 minutes in just five of 11 games this year.
Fittler has the versatile Nicho Hynes on the bench, who is talented enough to play hooker, but an early injury to Koroisau would be disastrous for NSW.
The Blues’ approach is in contrast to the Maroons who pack a one-two hooker punch in Ben Hunt and Harry Grant.
Hunt and Grant play the same role for the Kangaroos and were the only hookers picked in Mal Meninga’s winning World Cup squad last year.
Blues unveil team for Origin opener | 04:49
GAGAI OUT AS PICK AND STICK APPROACH AXED
If there’s one player that’s always delivered in the Origin arena it’s Dane Gagai, he’s embodied Queensland’s famous ‘pick and stick’ mentality in recent years.
Even when his club form was down, Maroons selectors still put their faith in the veteran centre – until now.
Coach Billy Slater has decided the veteran’s best days playing for his state, where he built a legacy through his reliability, were behind him.
The faith has dried up, with Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow getting the nod instead.
Tabuai-Fidow has been one of the form players of the competition, playing a huge hand in the Dolphins’ blistering start to their debut season.
But the reality is he’s a fullback. He’s played majority of his first grade footy at No.1 — 27 games vs 12 at centre — and will have to defend either Latrell Mitchell or Tom Trbojevic at centre.
The ‘Hammer’ did however play in the centres in his only previous appearance for the Maroons in 2021.
“We all know what Dane Gagai brings to the team, (but) Hamiso has been playing great too,” Slater said.
“Sometimes we can focus on who’s not there. Now it’s time to focus on who is there and building a game plan and having our players at their best… That’s the priority now.”
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BLUES HALVES
Fittler has left the door open for an easy change to his halves should Penrith playmaker Jarome Luai not perform alongside his club teammate Nathan Cleary.
Reigning Dally M Medal winner Nicho Hynes was breathing down Luai’s neck for selection in the No. 6 jersey, but the incumbent has kept his spot for game one.
Fittler instead opted to put Hynes on the bench which means he can still make the call to hook Luai from the halves during the game.
Luai has won back-to-back premierships but endured a slow start to the season and it was likely only his past two weeks, and his combination with Cleary, that saw him selected.
Hynes on the other hand has been in stellar touch for the Sharks and is building his way towards back-to-back Dally M crowns.
If NSW loses the series opener then Hynes will almost certainly be handed the reins in game two at Suncorp Stadium.
Slater explains Ponga axing & more | 15:44
HAS BILLY FALLEN INTO THE FORM VS INCUMBENCY TRAP?
Form or incumbency? It’s always the biggest question heading into Origin. Fittler went with form — to an extent — in last year’s series-opener when he controversially overlooked Josh Addo-Carr and Jake Trbojevic.
He was heavily criticised for those two decisions after the Blues lost 16-10. Addo-Carr wasn’t recalled but Trbojevic was rushed in for the next game and was NSW’s best forward in their 44-12 win.
Fittler has had to cop the Addo-Carr criticism for a year now and knew not to make the same mistake. All the star winger had to do was get through his return game on Sunday unscathed and he was in — despite missing five weeks with an ankle injury.
Trbojevic was a certainty too, until he ruled himself out of game one due to a calf injury.
Slater has gone down the same path as Fittler last year by overlooking Kalyn Ponga and Dane Gagai.
The form of Reece Walsh and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow absolutely warrant being in the conversation, but the former is yet to play a game for Queensland and the latter has just one under his belt.
When asked directly if he picked the side based on form, Slater said “not necessarily.”
“We take everything into consideration,” he added.
“Last year’s performance is not just throw it out and we start again — that’s certainly considered. But it’s not the be-all and end-all.
“You’re habits have still got to be there and the players have good habits in their game in this team and that’s considered as well.
“But certainly, what you’ve done in the jersey in the past is something that’s taken into consideration.”
You have to wonder though if Queensland lose game one, will Slater rush in Ponga and Gagai? Both players know what success looks like in the Origin arena.