Slater stays quiet as Walsh called back for Origin II

Queensland Coach Billy Slater Remains Tight-Lipped on Reece Walsh’s Return

Queensland coach Billy Slater remained evasive when questioned about the inclusion of Reece Walsh in the team for State of Origin II. He simply stated, “we know what he’s capable of,” without offering further details.

Slater has included Walsh on his six-man bench for the June 17 clash at the MCG. This decision comes after a surprising omission of Walsh from the series opener, which was won by New South Wales with a score of 22-20.

Slater Makes Strategic Changes to the Squad

Slater made the tough call to exclude Broncos playmaker Ezra Mam in favor of bringing back Walsh. “We just think it’s the best thing for the footy team,” Slater said on Monday after finalizing his 20-man squad. “We all know what Reece is capable of doing, and now we’ve got 10 days to go after our best footy and help our players be at their best.”

Despite the Broncos’ five-game losing streak and Walsh’s inconsistent form, Slater has opted to recall the 2025 Clive Churchill Medallist. Walsh was seen struggling in defense during Brisbane’s 28-23 loss to Gold Coast on Saturday night.

When asked about specific aspects of Walsh’s game that have impressed him recently, Slater was reluctant to share. “I’ll keep all that stuff in house,” he said. “I’ve got a great relationship with Reece. That goes back to when he debuted for the Warriors, and he’s built a really good game, and if needed, I’m sure he’ll go out there and perform that. We know what he’s capable of, and it’s about us playing our best football as a footy team. We’re more than one person and that’s been the strength of this footy team for a long time.”

Focus on Team Dynamics Over Individual Performance

Slater redirected attention back to the team when asked how far off his best he thought Walsh was. “Like I said, we’re more than one person, one player,” he said. “The strength of the team is the team, and that’s what we’ll be going after.”

When questioned about the role Walsh might play in game two, Slater responded, “Yeah, we’ll work that out as the week goes on.”

Injuries and Squad Adjustments

Walsh appeared to be playing injured against the Titans on Saturday night, but Brisbane coach Michael Maguire denied that was the case. To compensate for the loss of Broncos workhorse Patrick Carrigan to an ankle injury, Slater promoted Dolphins second-rower Kulikefu Finefeuiaki from 20th man to the bench and brought in Cowboys back-rower Heilum Luki to be 20th man.

To cover the loss of Broncos centre Gehamat Shibasaki to a knee injury, he recalled Cowboys outside back Murray Taulagi. Slater also moved Reuben Cotter from the second row to lock, promoted Briton Nikora from the bench to the second row, and moved Max Plath from lock to the bench.