Welcome change of luck
QUEENSLAND’S nightmare build- up has received a ray of hope with Maroons winger Dane Gagai given the green light to play in Origin I tonight after being cleared of a broken hand.
Just 24 hours after Billy Slater withdrew with a hamstring injury, Queensland’s preparations were thrown into disarray when Gagai suffered a compound dislocation of his finger at the Maroons’ captain’s run yesterday.
But scans last night cleared Gagai of serious damage, ensuring the Test flyer will take his place on the right flank for a showdown with NSW speed machine Josh Addo- Carr in the MCG opener.
Gagai’s clearance means the prospect of a dream debut for young gun Kalyn Ponga has been put on ice as the Maroons nominated Michael Morgan to fill the Slater void at fullback.
Gagai was seen at the team hotel last night in good spirits chasing his son and while he will take the field with stitches in his bandaged right hand, Maroons coach Kevin Walters backed him to fire.
“Dane did say, ‘ I won’t be missing this game regardless’ – he will be playing,” Walters said.
“It was a compound dislocation. The scans showed there is no break there, which is a good thing.
“He was in a fair bit of pain but he came back and finished off the session. That is a positive for ‘ Gags’.”
Entering his third series as coach, Walters concedes this has been his most turbulent preparation yet with injury dramas and the retirement of his Big Three – Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk – testing his squad’s resolve.
Despite having won 11 of the past 12 series, the Maroons will start Origin 1 tonight as underdogs, but Walters believes the leadership of new skipper Greg Inglis can protect the most ruthless dynasty in Origin history.
“As Queenslanders, I just see a real unity among the team,” he said.
“Greg Inglis is a big factor in everything we have done this week around his captaincy and the guys will get behind Greg and support him in every way.
“In my short tenure as coach, I haven’t experienced the week that we have with our senior players not available.
“We’ve lost Billy, but that’s what Origin is, it challenges everyone.”
Morgan, out of form this season for the Cowboys, is fac- ing an Everest- style challenge. There was a concerted push for the 20- year- old Ponga to be blooded at fullback, but Walters opted for Morgan’s experience and Milford’s gamebreaking potential on the bench.
Walters also dismissed concerns halfback Ben Hunt was in doubt with a thigh injury.
“Ben is right to go,” he said. “He has trained strongly on Friday, Sunday and now Tuesday.
“He has some strapping on his leg but he will be right to go.
“He has progressed well during the week and he’s excited to get his first run- on game for Queensland.”