'100 per cent correct': Journo doubles down on rift claims after Billy ...

It all comes down to this. The 2024 State of Origin series heads to Suncorp tonight for a highly-anticipated decider that promises to be a clash for the ages.

Michael Maguire’s side will be brimming with confidence after their record-breaking first half burst that saw them put Game II to bed before the half-time whistle sounded.

Their adversaries, Billy Slater’s all conquering Maroons, will be up for the test. Queensland will be looking to leave their pedestrian start to Game II in Melbourne and dispel any belief they don’t have the forward pack to match the Blues.

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TEAMS: NSW & QLD GAME III TEAMS

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MATCH CENTRE: NSW v QLD, stats, results, teams

History beckons for New South Wales. Should they be successful up in Suncorp they will become just the third Blues side to win a decider at the infamous venue, following the 1994 and 2005 sides.

Maguire will need to contend the series decider without centre Latrell Mitchell, who was one of the Blues’ best on ground in Game II, while Sea Eagles edge Haumole Olakau’atu has been replaced on the bench by Warriors enforcer Mitch Barnett.

Kalyn Ponga has been included on Queensland’s bench, a role he has excelled at before at Origin level, while Kurt Capewell has been promoted to the starting side.

For more details about Origin Game III, check out our ultimate guide, while all your team news can be found here.

REPORTER DOUBLES DOWN DESPITE BILLY BACKLASH

Veteran rugby league reporter Danny Weidler has doubled down on his report of a rift between Selwyn Cobbo and Maroons coaching staff that left Maroons coach Billy Slater fuming.

The claims raised eyebrows considering the veteran rugby league reporter and Slater share the same employer, Channel 9, with the Queensland coach seemingly blindsided by the story when he fronted a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Weidler was on Wednesday standing firm that his information is correct as Slater attempts to galvanise his troops ahead of tonight’s decider.

“My source who I have talked to numerous times about this since Billy’s presser says my information is exactly correct — 100 per cent correct and the information has come from within the Queensland camp. I’m confident in what the person is telling me to be true,” Weidler told Triple M’s Footy Talk Rugby League Podcast.

“I’m comfortable with my source and I went back again and said ‘look, is this ridgy didge?’ and that person said to me that it has come from within the Queensland camp.

“And the person who is telling me has a significant standing in the game. It’s not just some bloke I met at the pub. It’s someone I’ve known for a long time and I trust what they’re saying.

“I got a tip off on Sunday as I was coming up to Brisbane one of my contacts called me as I was getting on a plane to fly to Brisbane.

Coach Billy Slater with Selwyn Cobbo, QLD State of Origin team training, Sanctuary Cove. Picture: Liam KidstonSource: News Corp Australia

“I couldn’t talk at the time so I spoke to them when I landed in Brisbane and the information was as I broadcast in a piece to camera on Nine News where I said there was some tension around Selwyn Cobbo and the coaching staff.”

Weidler said he had since heard “people” were pushing for action be taken against him for reporting the story.

“I’ve had it relayed to me that some people are wanting some sort of action against me,” he said.

“Please. It’s a story. I’ve had stories denied before and I will have stories denied again and you’ve just got to get on with it. It’s part of journalism.”

Slater emphatically denied the report, attacking it as “fake news”. Weidler said he didn’t intend the piece to be viewed as an “attack” on the Maroons coach.

“I don’t know what else to say other than I respect Billy Slater. It’s not an attack on Billy it’s just me reporting what I’ve heard,” he said.

“Did I expect Billy to deny it? I think I said in my piece to camera yes. Was Billy Slater ever going to come out a day before a game and say ‘well yeah the Queensland coach staff and Selwyn aren’t really on the same page all the time?’, that would have been an admission.

“It’s much easier if Billy wants to say exactly what he’s saying. I’m just a reporter. And he’s got every right to say what he wants to, but my source says it’s otherwise.

“…I didn’t know how angry Billy would be but I imagined he would be. Being painted by some people as (there’s) something between me and Billy, well, I’ve got no problem with Billy. If he’s got a problem with me well then that’s totally on him.”

GRANT TO START?

Mail coming out of Maroons camp is coach Billy Slater is looking to start Harry Grant at hooker and bring Ben Hunt into the action from the interchange bench.

Hunt has started Game I and II at dummy half, but reports suggest Grant will get the nod to open proceedings tonight at Suncorp.

Fox League’s Cooper Cronk says he agrees with the call in what he believes could be Grant’s defining Origin moment.

“Harry Grant is an 80-minute dummy half so that’s not a huge surprise. This guy can dominate Origin,” Cronk told the Matty Johns Podcast.

“He can dominate for 80 minutes and do it like some of the other greats have done it and I think this could be the chance and Billy’s gone, ‘you know what, it’s your time to shine.’”

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JULY 15: Harry Grant during a Queensland Maroons state of origin squad training session at Sanctuary Cove on July 15, 2024 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Kalyn Ponga’s inclusion on the bench has some suggesting the Maroons will be a bit skinny upfront as they attempt to quell the NSW pack who dominated them so heavily in Game Two.

Cronk said the key to Ponga’s effectiveness came down to Slater injecting him at the right moment.

“Billy will have a plan and it would be let’s say (have) Daly Cherry-Evans, (Tom) Dearden, Ponga, Reece Walsh…maybe Ben Hunt is on there at the same time,” he said.

“What he (Billy) needs to do is he needs to time his run to perfection. He needs to try and predict when there’s a swing of possession his way because the last thing you need is having four little guys in the middle up against NSW’s Spencer Leniu.

“It’s like, Kalyn, sit there and when I feel like there’s momentum shifting and we get a repeat set, throw him out there straight away.

“At some stage if I was Billy, I would put Ponga with Walsh and Jeremiah Nanai in front of me going towards Best. All three of them in some shape or form, and just make him (Best) second guess.”

HANNAY DECLARES SLATER’S ‘MORE DETERMINED’

Queensland assistant coach Josh Hannay has shot down claims Billy Slater is under pressure, claiming the QLD coach is “more determined” ahead of the 2024 series decider.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday morning, Hannay stressed rumours the former Storm fullback is “under enormous pressure and he’s had a different demeanour” couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“It’s all rubbish,” he said.

“He’s the same Billy that I’ve worked with for three years.”

Hannay explained Slater “was stung” by the Blues’ first half domination of the Maroons in Game II, a performance that set up a thrilling series decider at Suncorp tonight.

“If anything, and this is the frightening part, it’s only made him more determined,” the 44-year-old said.

Hannay stressed Slater is a “winner” who has “won his whole career.”

“He doesn’t like sitting through what we had to sit through in Game II,” he said.

“The only thing I’ve witnessed is a more determined Billy Slater and that’s a frightening prospect.”

ORIGIN BURNING QUESTIONS: Battle of the benches looms as DCE swansong looms

CAN MOSES TAKE THE SUNCORP HEAT?

Blues halfback Mitchell Moses was sensational in Game II, but a decider at Suncorp is a very different proposition.

Moses made the most of a lopsided first half penalty count that included four successive penalties to consistently piggyback NSW up field.

And he cashed in, guiding the Blues to a 34-0 lead at the break – the biggest half-time lead in Origin history.

His forwards were unbelievable, dominating the Maroons pack to the point of embarrassment.

But Queensland legend Cooper Cronk believes if Moses thinks things are going to go down in Brisbane tonight like they did in Melbourne three weeks ago, he better think again.

“If he’s got a mindset of doing exactly what he did in Game Two, I actually think it’s the wrong mindset strangely enough,” Cronk said on the Matty Johns Podcast.

“Do you really think Queensland is going to allow quick play the balls, advantage to their forward pack, time and space, and they (NSW) dominated possession, I just don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Cronk said patience was key to Moses playing strongly in front of 52,500 screaming Queenslanders.

“I think patience and composure from Mitchell Moses is going to have to be the key. One of the big things I always thought about in a big game, particularly an Origin Decider, is to touch the ball basically through your kicking game,” he said.

“If you see an opportunity you take it but just step back and let the big forwards butt heads for a period of time and let them win because there’s this real ego battle in origin, particularly early on. When your forwards feel like they’re getting it you’ve got to let them go.

“Don’t get the ball and start zinging it sideways. I think the best thing that Mitchell Moses, and (Daly) Cherry-Evans to be honest, the best thing that they can do in the first 10 minutes is kick the ball well.

“But both halfbacks will have to have a gameplan for the last five-to-10 minutes when it’s tight because if I’m trying to predict this it will be a golden point type of game.”

CRONK TIPS WALSH BLINDER

Few know the hallowed Suncorp Stadium turf better than Cronk, who has played in multiple winning deciders at the venue.

Cronk explained the stadium, and surrounding city, come alive on an Origin game day.

“There’s something in the water and something in the air up there,” he told The Matty Johns Podcast.

“You wake up on the morning of Origin day and all of a sudden the Brisbane City is filled with Maroon jerseys.

“You look out your window and everyone’s going to work in their maroon jersey, the flags are on the cars and it’s a pretty cool feeling.”

But as much the crowd lifts the Maroons, Cronk believes simply playing in Brisbane doesn’t ensure a Queensland win.

“The issue with Queensland and Billy is the fact that you’re playing a decider at Suncorp and the crowd’s going to be on your side (but it) isn’t enough to get you the victory,” he said.

“It’s not going to make you tackle or run any harder so they’ve got to really find that balance. It works one way and it helps the other way in terms of NSW as well.”

Maroons fullback Reece Walsh has endured a disrupted series after being knocked out in an ugly Game I hit by NSW centre Joseph Suaalii, with the star fullback sidelined due to concussion protocols as a result of the hit.

He was recalled for Game II with limited preparation and it showed in the 22-year-old’s uncharacteristically quiet performance as NSW blew Queensland off the park winning 38-18.

Cronk said despite everything Walsh had been forced to deal with of late, he expects the superstar to lead the way for Queensland in the decider, even tipping him to win man of the match.

“I’m going all in on Walsh on this one and strangely enough he had a poor game in Game II, he got smashed in Game I,” he said.

“Ponga’s in the team and it feels like he probably should be more rattled than ever but I just feel like when Billy’s coaching, this is the type of performance where he just goes for it.

“I think Walsh stands up.

“I’m going to go golden point and I think it’s going to be tight and hopefully Queensland kick that field goal to win it.”

Meanwhile, Matthew Johns is predicting a Blues victory.

“I’m going NSW 26-18 and man of the match I’m going Payne Haas. You spoke before about his impact and I think he deserves it. I think he’s set for a dominant performance,” Johns said.

MAROONS GREAT CALLS ON CARRIGAN TO ‘SEND A MESSAGE’

Following a poor performance from the state’s middles in Game II, a Maroons great has called on Patrick Carrigan to rip club teammate Payne Haas’ “f***ing head off.”

Haas was dominant in the Blues game’ performance, making 166 metres, including 61 after contact, making four offloads and 27 tackles without a miss in what was his most complete Origin performance to date.

Alongside the 24-year-old, the rest of the Blues forward pack stood up against the Queensland middles, who came under fire in the weeks following the contest.

Speaking to The Courier Mail, Parker believes the onus is on Carrigan to go after his club teammate and lay a marker down for the rest of his side that history would not repeat itself in the decider.

“It’s time for Carrigan to take on Payne Haas. Rip his f***ing head off. Seriously,” the 19-time Maroon said.

“In Origin, the friendship gets put aside for 80 minutes.”

Parker recalled versing one of his closest friends, Blues hooker Michael Ennis, in Origin. On Parker’s first run, Ennis hit him with a swinging arm. On Parker’s next run, he hit Ennis with a forearm.

The Broncos legend believes it’s time for Carrigan to do similar at the representative level.

“Pat should make a statement,” he said.

“Fly out of the line and level Payne. Whack him. They are best mates, but that’s what Origin is about, mate versus mate.

“Payne is their big dog, so Pat should take it upon himself to go after Payne Haas.

“Forget all the jargon about completion rates and defensive systems. Someone needs to send a message in this Queensland team.”

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