The big calls Billy must make to save QLD, his job as ‘jury still out’ on golden boy — Crawls

Billy Slater better get it right at the selection table for Game 2 or it could be his job on the line next.

It’s one thing taking the easy route and calling time on Daly Cherry-Evans’ representative career.

But it’s a whole different ball game even daring to question Slater given his status up in Queensland.

Yet if Slater was the coach of the Blues you know exactly where the conversation would be heading right now after another lacklustre and ill-disciplined effort in front of their home crowd at Suncorp Stadium.

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Disappointed Maroons reflect on loss | 01:46

Let’s not forget Slater was outcoached by Michael Maguire last year.

Now Laurie Daley has gone 1-0 up with NSW barely getting out of second gear.

No question, the Blues have a superior team on paper.

But as Daley can testify, that didn’t give him a get out of jail card the last time he was in charge of the Blues against the greatest team Queensland ever assembled.

And the scary thing is that if Nathan Cleary didn’t have such a shocker with his goalkicking the margin would have been significantly bigger, and that’s without the Blues playing anywhere near their full potential.

So back to Slater and the big calls he must make to get Queensland back in this series and potentially save his own backside.

At the top of the to-do list is having the tough conversation he should have before the series even kicked off with his captain.

Anyone who has watched the NRL this year knew DCE should not have been selected ahead of Tom Dearden in the first place.

But it was a bit sad listening to the 36-year-old then sit beside Slater at the post-match media conference and almost plead for another go.

READ MORE ORIGIN

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Blues claim Game 1 on enemy territory | 03:03

You can’t ignore the fact Queensland has now lost the past two games at Suncorp and only scored one try.

If DCE was being honest with himself he would not have put his hand up to play this year given his age and his form for Manly.

But ultimately it is still the coach who is paid to make the tough decisions.

On this note, Slater went for the easy option instead of the right one.

As Andrew Johns said after the game when leading the charge on why Dearden should be rushed into the starting side for game two in Perth, “no-one beats Father Time”.

We all know what a great player Slater was in his day, but we are about to find out if he has what it takes to become a great coach.

As it stands the jury is still well and truly out on that front.

FORGOTTEN QUEENSLANDERS WHO MUST COME INTO CONSIDERATION

The other changes Queensland must make is bringing in some forwards with mongrel and grunt.

And while there is a huge push to rush in the Raiders’ wild man Corey Horsburgh, the other Raider who surely must be considered is Josh Papalii.

Papalii has been enormous off the bench this year and don’t tell me the 33-year-old wouldn’t still have had a bigger impact than Moeaki Fotuaika, who finished with four runs for 39m.

Stack that up alongside Tino Fa’asuamaleaui who had 14 runs for 107m.

On that point, why have three Titans players in the pack when they are flat out winning an NRL game?

Of course, Tino is a certainty but he needs some backup.

Lindsay Collins could push into the starting team and big Pappa on the bench.

The Dragons’ Jaydn Su’a is other forgotten Queenslander with plenty of mongrel and muscle who could make a difference.

Could veteran Josh Papalii be considered for a QLD recall? Source: Getty Images

Reuben Cotter is either playing off the bench in the middle or not at all.

And while young Rooster Robert Toia did enough to justify his selection, there also must be heat on Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who yet again was towelled up by Stephen Crichton.

Moving Hammer to fullback could open the game up for him, although you’d imagine there is no chance Kalyn Ponga will get punted regardless of his form.

The other veteran who is at least worth a conversation is Dane Gagai who know I know is now 34, but the thing about Gagai is you just know he won’t be bullied regardless of if he is up against Crichton or Latrell.

If Ben Hunt and Murray Taulagi are available Hunt would take Dearden’s bench spot and Taulagi for Val Holmes, although Holmes could push to centre.

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WHY DCE WOULD BE GIVING ROOSTERS NIGHTMARES

As dejected as Slater looked at his post-match media conference, can you imagine the look on the faces of Nick Politis and Trent Robinson watching DCE’s performance?

How do the Roosters get themselves out of this one?

Is there a signed contract? Is there a letter of intent?

Is there a backflip coming?

Why would the Roosters potentially go ahead and pay top dollar for a former Queensland Origin halfback when they already have the future in Sam Walker?

Unless of course the deal is already done.

DCE will command $700,000 plus while young Hugo Savala is currently on an $85,000-a-season development deal.

It makes absolutely no sense running the risk of losing Savala with Sandon Smith already having one foot out the door.

Dearden defends under-threat captain DCE | 01:44

DALEY DESERVES HUGE CREDIT

As for the Blues, they didn’t have a bad player.

From one to 17, you wouldn’t make a single change unless it is forced through injury or suspension.

Although you still can’t ignore the halves combination of Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses didn’t exactly set the world on fire.

I do think it is worth persisting with them though because they will only get better the more football they play together.

As for Daley’s other contentious selection calls, they all paid off.

The decision to start Dylan Edwards ahead of James Tedesco was a winner, as was Mitch Barnett in the front row and Max King off the bench ahead of inform Tiger Terrell May.

Laurie Daley has made a happy return to the Origin arena. Source: News Corp Australia

And that’s without mentioning the calls that Tommy Turbo should have been picked ahead of either Zac Lomax or Brian To’o who were both tremendous.

For mine Isaah Yeo was just ahead of Payne Haas for man of the match but I’m certainly not blowing up that Haas got the vote because he was enormous as well.

Lomax was also in the conversation for best on ground.

As always there are people having a crack at Latrell Mitchell but no other player in the game could have come up with the freakish midair catch-and-pass that put To’o over in the corner.

As for Stephen Crichton, well, what else is there to say?

He was just so strong defensively and that try he laid on for Lomax again showed why he is head and shoulders above every centre in the game at the minute.

BUNKER ON A DIFFERENT PLANET

Now to the sin binning of Brian To’o.

It’s just outrageous that a player who was legitimately jumping for the ball is sent off for 10 minutes in a State of Origin for putting an arm around Xavier Coates as the two players came down from contesting a bomb.

It once again confirms the officials in the Bunker are obviously living on a different planet to the rest of us.

While it was annoying seeing Ashley Klein blow a stack of early penalties in fairness to Klein, Queensland’s poor discipline left him with no option.

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