Maroons plan for one-two KO blow

INJURIES ruined Queensland’s secret weapon in Origin I but dummy-half dynamos Ben Hunt and Harry Grant are preparing to launch a double whammy on NSW in Perth.

If the Maroons have more luck on the injury front at Optus Stadium on Sunday, Hunt and Grant will join forces on the field to blitz the Blues.

Hunt, 32, will start his 13th Origin game for Queensland at hooker, with Grant to again come off the bench following an impressive Origin I effort.

But Queensland coach Billy Slater has formulated a plan that could see Hunt shift to a ball-playing lock role, instead of going to the bench, when Grant is at hooker.

That would give the Maroons a five-pronged playmaking attack along with halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster and fullback Kalyn Ponga.

The strategy wasn’t able to be used at Accor Stadium in the series opener, given the Maroons were forced to burn two unplanned interchanges after winger Xavier Coates and bench backrower Jeremiah Nanai suffered ankle injuries.

But it is back on the table and Hunt is hoping the plan can be put into action.

“It’s definitely something I’m hoping we can do,” Hunt said. “I’d love to be out there while Harry is.

“There was a bit of a plan to use us together in Game One but it wasn’t set in stone. Anything can change in a game. Billy just did what he thought was best for the team and it obviously worked.

“With the way the first game worked out with injuries, and Reuben Cotter (lock) not getting tired, we just left him out there. He’s out of the mix now (hamstring injury) so you never know. We will be prepared for anything.”

Grant and Hunt hail from the Rockhampton region and both are graduates of league nursery St Brendan’s College in Yeppoon.

Grant, 24, grew up idolising Hunt and is hoping they can join forces to clinch the series for Queensland in what will be his fourth Origin.

“We will see how the game goes,” Grant said.

“We spoke about having a plan before the game with the interchanges and how we use them, but that can change with injuries and what happened in Game One when we had to shift players around.

“I’d love to be on the field with him. We will have a good week and go from there. Hopefully I go to dummy-half and let him take all the hit-ups.”

By starting Hunt, a halfback who has excelled at hooker in Origin, Slater has options up his sleeve compared to NSW.

The Blues have selected two out-and-out hookers, with Penrith’s Api Koroisau and South Sydney’s Damien Cook to share the duties with the series on the line.