Slater steps up like a champion with game on line
BILLY Slater, welcome back to State of Origin.
There were a lot of questions ahead of last night’s showdown in Sydney over whether replacing a reliable Darius Boyd at fullback was the right thing to do for Queensland.
But, as good as Boyd was, you should never, ever doubt a great of the game like Slater. When Queensland were down 16- 12 and looked like no chance of coming back into the gritty and nail- biting battle at ANZ Stadium, the Melbourne superstar played a gamechanging role that he has played a million times before.
With just three minutes left on the clock, the Maroons were looking for a way over the line. And Slater’s combination with his Storm teammate Cooper Cronk proved to be the key.
He floated across the field to back up the No. 7, before shooting the ball out to Michael Morgan whose stunning flick pass put two- try hero Dane Gagai over for a thrilling four- pointer.
A Johnathan Thurston conversion one minute later and the game was Queensland’s.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are headed for a Suncorp Stadium decider next month.
It was a moment that no one could have predicted from the Maroons, given how well the Blues had defended all night long.
But when tried and true combinations like the one between Cronk and Slater come into play, there is not a lot to be done, even from the best of teams. It also could have only taken two Origin greats like this pair to help Queensland claim the much- needed victory when their backs were against the wall.
They had held the lead in that match for just 24 minutes before NSW took control to head into halftime up 16- 6.
But you never write Queenslanders off.
Especially Queenslanders like Billy Slater.