Slater on track for Origin II

BILLY Slater is confident his State of Origin career is not over — the champion Maroons fullback has vowed to do everything possible to help Queensland save the series in Game 2.

Slater sat in the Maroons’ sheds with a heavy heart after being ruled out of Origin I with a hamstring injury, ruing that he had been reduced to a spectator in their 22-12 defeat at the MCG on Wednesday.

Slater has another 16 days to prove his fitness for Origin II and while he won’t face the Broncos on Sunday in Melbourne, he is on track to return to the Queensland No.1 jumper in Sydney.

“I’d like to think I will be there for Origin II,” Slater said.

“My rehab won’t be an issue. Sitting here now I don’t feel injured, which is frustrating, but at the end of the day I could only be guided by the recommendation of the doctors as I’ve never had a hamstring injury before.

“The physios are saying it’s only a small tear in my hamstring. I’ve just got to get through my stages without pushing the boundaries too much. Hopefully it won’t take too long. I’m still hopeful of playing the Newcastle Knights in a week and a half and if that doesn’t happen, well the next time I take the field I want to be 100 per cent.

“I don’t care about the number of games I play any more, I just want to get back out there and help Queensland save this series.”