Slater lifts lid on 'tough phone calls' to axed stars

By Emily Patterson and Damien McCartney

Queensland manager Billy Slater has confirmed a fig of large calls successful his squad for Origin I, earlier lifting the lid connected the "tough telephone calls" helium had to marque connected Sunday nighttime to present the news.

As expected, Reece Walsh won the contention to the fullback presumption implicit incumbent Kalyn Ponga.

He is the lone debutant successful the squad.

FOLLOW LIVE: State of Origin teams news

READ MORE: Maroons' tense hold implicit Tino forearm

READ MORE: Sharks prima told to 'pack his bags and leave'

Fourteen players from past year's bid were recalled.

Thomas Flegler, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, David Fifita and Christian Welch are the different 4 who person been called backmost into the squad.

Dane Gagai is simply a notable omission, flagging a imaginable determination distant from the Maroons' 'pick and stick' culture.

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui has been cleared to play aft receiving lone a fine for his interaction connected Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney during the Titans' nonaccomplishment connected Sunday.

Slater besides opted to walk implicit Felise Kaufusi, who is facing a three-game suspension for his precocious changeable connected erstwhile teammate Christian Welch during the Dolphins' nonaccomplishment to the Storm connected Saturday night.

Addressing the media, Slater revealed helium had taken it upon himself to present the quality to 4 of the large names helium near retired of the side, ringing Ponga, Gagai, Kurt Capewell and Xavier Coates connected Sunday.

"I had to marque immoderate truly pugnacious telephone calls past night. There were immoderate bully telephone calls but determination were [also] immoderate truly pugnacious ones," helium said.

"They're not casual decisions to make but they're made for the close reasons and I judge that.

"[But] they were precise understanding.

"Those 4 guys are Queenslanders done and through.

"By the extremity of the conversations they were each truly supportive of this team, they each privation occurrence for this team and they're consenting to enactment the squad successful immoderate way.

"They are large men and large Queenslanders."

Slater underlined his assurance successful his decisions, particularly the contentious telephone to manus the No.1 jersey to Walsh implicit Ponga.

"At the extremity of the day, I'm truly comfy that this is the close decision," helium said.

"It's the close determination for everyone involved, it's the close determination for the team.

"Reece Walsh has been playing fantastic football. I've watched him person than astir radical and he's successful a truly bully place. So, I'm comfy with the determination we person made there."

Slater shrugged disconnected questions concerning the power of Ponga's conflict with repetition concussions connected his decision, alternatively choosing to emphasise that Walsh has undoubtedly earned his spot.

"There's a batch much to Reece Walsh than what we spot connected the surface," helium said.

"He's got a large enactment ethic - if you ever ticker him play live, he's moving a batch without getting successful the picture.

"His crippled is successful a bully spot and it's going to get adjacent better."

Slater besides acknowledged the strain astir dropping Gagai, a accordant performer successful the Origin arena, for an in-form Tabuai-Fidow.

"Hamiso has been playing large too," helium said.

"Sometimes we tin absorption connected the guys that are not there, present it's clip to absorption connected who is determination and gathering a crippled program and having our players astatine our best.

"That's the precedence now."

The Maroons volition instrumentality connected the Blues connected Wednesday week astatine Adelaide Oval.

MAROONS ORIGIN I TEAM

1. Reece Walsh

2. Selwyn Cobbo

3. Valentine Holmes

4. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow

5. Murray Taulagi

6. Cameron Munster

7. Daly Cherry-Evans

8. Thomas Flegler

9. Ben Hunt

10. Lindsay Collins

11. Tom Gilbert

12. David Fifita

13. Patrick Carrigan

14. Harry Grant

15. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui

16. Reuben Cotter

17. Jai Arrow

18. Tom Dearden

19. Christian Welch

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!

State of Origin 2023: Every subordinate named by NSW Blues