Slater stays green and gold for another year
BILLY Slater will likely farewell the game in New Zealand next year after confirming he’s available for representative rugby league in 2018.
Superstar fullback Slater last month re-signed with Melbourne for one more NRL season but it was unclear whether he would continue turning out for Queensland and Australia.
The Kangaroos fullback said he’d been in no doubt since.
“Once I decided I was playing on next year. It wasn’t a decision to play rep footy or not,” Slater said ahead of the Kangaroos’ World Cup quarter-final against Samoa tonight.
“It was a decision to play or not and I decided to go around another year. More than likely that’ll be my last year so I’m looking forward to playing all forms of the game.”
After being rested against Lebanon last week, Slater will return at fullback for the knockout final against Samoa in Darwin. And Meninga admits the 34-year-old the jumper is his to lose until he calls time on an illustrious career, including the Kangaroos’ lone Test pencilled in for New Zealand after the NRL season next year.
“He’s got to be playing well. He’s got to be fit and healthy too,” Meninga said.
“It’s a long way away but the way he’s playing at the moment, the way he looks after himself, I can’t see any reason why he can’t be No.1 at the end of next year as well.”