With a wealth of talent across the NRL in the No. 1 jersey, who wins the fullback spot is a heated selection battle each and every year.
For the Blues, Roosters gun James Tedesco’s form was too good to ignore, winning his New South Wales jersey back off incumbent Dylan Edwards.
But the battle on the Maroons side was arguably even more interesting.
Kalyn Ponga got the nod over Broncos superstar Reece Walsh, with legendary halfback Cooper Cronk certain something irked Billy Slater in selecting his incumbent No.1.
Cronk says Slater’s the best fullback this game has seen, as he watches the game through a different lens to what anyone else would when it comes to fullbacks.
He goes on to say that Slater has obviously seen something in Reece’s game that says, he does not know if he can trust him for 80 minutes.
Cronk goes on to say that Ponga’s playing better now than he did in his Daly M year.
He says it is in the way he carries himself, the way he communicates, the way he plays for Newcastle, it’s pretty hard to deny it.”
The legendary fullback says however, that does not mean there was not a place for Walsh in the side at all, as personally he would have them both in the side.
The phone call from Maroons coach Slater to Walsh was a difficult one, but he insists there are no burnt bridges between the two.
The NSW Blues take on the Queensland Marrons at 10.05 tonight.
Source: foxsports.com.au
