Maroons coach Billy Slater has put the Blues defence on high alert after warning that the electric Reece Walsh could be deployed almost anywhere in Origin II tonight.
Slater knows just how special Walsh can be at his best as he was the coach responsible for selecting him for his first State of Origin series in 2023 and he was repaid in spades, with the then-20-year-old dominating NSW in Game I and II.
Whilst he has been overlooked for a starting role so far this year, Walsh could have an influence on tonight's outcome from the bench as Queensland seek to send the series to a decider at Suncorp Stadium.
Slater says Walsh is a great player and he is in a unique position in their team, as is Murray Taulagi.
He says both players are regular starters for their club teams, making this a unique situation.
He adds that there are a couple of ways those two players could be used as they could be backups for injured players that are starting.
Those structures could see Walsh playing in several different positions, not just fullback, where Kalyn Ponga has been preferred once again.
Queensland captain Cameron Munster suggested there might be room to “inject” Walsh into the game in certain scenarios and he will leave that to the coaching staff.
The Blues have their own positional shuffles, with coach Laurie Daley confirming on Tuesday that Brian To’o will switch from right to left wing to accommodate the inclusion of dual international Mark Nawaqanitawase.
That means that the Blues left edge will likely be completely different to Game I, with Mitchell Moses returning from injury at five-eighth, Dylan Lucas making his debut in the second-row, Tolutau Koula shifting into centre and To’o on the wing.
The NSW Blues will take on the Queensland Maroons at 10.05 tonight.
Source: NRL
