Door wide open for Reece Walsh as Slater urged to axe Queensland superstar
Former NRL player Denan Kemp has questioned whether Kalyn Ponga has lost some of his aura, speculating that Billy Slater might be better off axing the star fullback for State of Origin 3. Ponga hasn't been much of a factor in either of the Origin games so far this series, and hasn't been in great form with Newcastle either.
In Game 1 he had 21 runs for 163 metres, but in Game 2 on Wednesday night it was just eight runs for 77 metres. Queensland won 26-24 to send the series to a decider, but Ponga had four missed tackles and two errors - both on high balls that he failed to secure.
The $1.4 million fullback missed a key tackle on Brian To'o for one of the NSW winger's three tries, and was caught out of position when Angus Crichton streamed through to ground a grubber from Jarome Luai. He also had a poor miss on Nathan Cleary, but got lucky the try was disallowed for an obstruction.
Queensland's win has largely taken the heat off Ponga that might have arisen had the Maroons lost. But Kemp is among a number of leading voices questioning his place in Slater's side. Speaking on the popular 'Bloke in a Bar' podcast on Thursday, the former Broncos and Warriors player suggested Slater might be tempted to pick someone else for Game 3.
"He dropped three bombs. He got bounced off by Cleary and got lucky there was an obstruction," Kemp said. "I think Billy has to have a real hard look at that fullback position. I think KP (Ponga) is just out of form.
"It's tough but if you've got that many errors, it's just a real question we (Queensland) have to ask ourselves. We need someone who's bringing energy around the ruck, making their catches and tackles. It's definitely a question that I think Billy should be considering because we can't afford to go into Game 3 and have that many dropped balls. We'll lose by 30-plus."
Co-host Tim Williams, the brother of former Canberra player Sam, added: "KP is normally elite under the high ball. When he's dropping bombs like that...I know the conditions were bad but there were some pretty soft ones. It's normally the case where every time Ponga gets the ball in Origin my heart sinks thinking 'how is he going to kill us (NSW) this time. The last two games, I've forgotten he's playing at times."
Reece Walsh would be the obvious choice to replace Ponga if Slater decides to make a change, but Kemp said he's not sure the Broncos fullback has enough games under his belt. Walsh's season was disrupted by a knee injury that sidelined him for six weeks, but he returned with two tries in the Broncos' thrashing of the Titans a fortnight ago. The 22-year-old has played five Origin games to date, and has clashes with the Sharks and Warriors to state his case for selection in Game 3.
"When you are a Queenslander, that's all you want to do," Walsh said after the Titans game about a possible call-up. "If Billy needs me in the squad for anything, I'll be there and ready to go. If he doesn't, I'll still be cheering the boys and backing them at home."
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The other option would be to put Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow at fullback - his preferred position. The Hammer played centre in Game 1 and wing in Game 2, but many believe he's Queensland's best fullback option. Murray Taulagi is back to full fitness and would be an option for the wing if Slater puts Tabuai-Fidow in the No.1 jersey in the decider.
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