Gagai says goal-kick pressure’s no issue
It is not a convincing resume for arguably rugby league’s toughest job – kicking a pressure goal in Origin.
Future Immortal Thurston showed the steely nerve required when he iced a sideline conversion to clinch Origin II for Queensland last year. But Gagai believed he could step up in front of a packed MCG next week and get it done.
“I honestly don’t mind the pressure,” Gagai said.
“It’s one of those things. We have obviously lost two great kickers in Smith and Thurston and we need a goal kicker, so Val and I have put our hands up. Val went all right yesterday but we will have a kick off later in the week and see how we go.”
Sharks flyer Holmes has an NRL career goal-kicking percentage of almost 72 per cent but has not kicked this season.
“As long as we are making them it doesn’t matter,” Gagai said. “It’s obviously a big role but you have to score tries first.”
Gagai has no problem doing just that – he has scored seven tries in as many Origins since his 2015 debut.
He became the first winger to claim the Wally Lewis Medal when he was named Queensland’s 2017 Origin player of the year.
The South Sydney flyer said the Maroons were keen to lift for veteran fullback Billy Slater, who announced he would retire from representative football after the 2018 Origin series.
Gagai backed Slater (hamstring) to play his 30th Origin along with the Maroons’ other concerns – lock Josh McGuire (ankle), halfback Hunt (thigh) and bench utility Michael Morgan (sternum).
All four missed Tuesday’s opening training session.
Queensland next train today on the Gold Coast after relocating from Brisbane to Sanctuary Cove yesterday.