Walters gambles with Boyd

Under-fire Queensland coach Kevin Walters admits it is a risk to throw Darius Boyd into the centres opposite New South Wales star Josh Dugan in Wednesday night’s State of Origin two in Sydney.

Test fullback Boyd was expected to move to the left wing, where he had played 24 of his 27 Origins, after veteran Billy Slater reclaimed his Maroons No 1 jersey for game two.

However, Walters raised eyebrows by moving Boyd to left centre and putting him on a collision course with Blues strike weapon Dugan. Boyd has never played the position in Origin and last featured as a centre for NRL club Brisbane back in 2009.

“Defensively will be the big challenge for him, trying to contain Dugan on that right side,” Walters said. “It’s a bit of a risk as such. But not from my eyes. We have full confidence in Darius’s ability.”

Walters admitted it would have been “easy” to move Boyd to left wing and Dane Gagai into the centres as Queensland made seven changes after the debacle that was game one.

But Walters confirmed Boyd was the one who suggested he would be best suited in the centres.

“It is a great challenge for Darius,” Walters said. “I had a good chat with Darius before the team was named.

“I put it to him where he thought he could best help Queensland and his answer to me was in the centres. That’s what we have gone with.”

Walters has rolled the dice in a bid to force the series into a game-three decider at Suncorp Stadium.

He appeared under pressure after reports Wayne Bennett was ready to take over the Maroons reins next year if Queensland lost this year’s Origin.

The QRL have since backed Walters, who is in his second year at the helm, to see out his contract until the end of 2018.

Former Queensland lock Corey Parker was angry the story that Walters may face the axe had even circulated.

“I am disappointed we are reading that about the Queensland coach from our own print press,” he said.

“I think it stinks. That’s not what we are about. Kevin Walters has all the attributes you want for a Queensland coach — he won the series last year.”

Meanwhile, Johnathan Thurston’s State of Origin swansong is about to begin but it seems Queensland aren’t ready to say goodbye just yet.

Maroons second rower Gavin Cooper said it was hard to win a series without the veteran playmaker and claimed Thurston’s heir apparent Anthony Milford was “no JT”.

Thurston will start his Origin farewell series in Sydney after returning from a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Maroons’ record 28-4 opening loss. Thurston will retire from representative football after the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

Cooper said it showed just how much Thurston would be missed after Milford stepped up for the injured playmaker in game one.

“It’s tough to win a series without him,” Cooper said of Thurston. “Milf is a special player and he can do a good job but he’s still no JT.”

The shoulder injury brought an abrupt end to Thurston’s record of 36 straight Origins. The Maroons suffered their heaviest Origin loss at Suncorp Stadium in his absence.

Now back to full fitness, Thurston and fellow returning veteran Billy Slater have made an immediate impact at Queensland’s Gold Coast camp, Maroons bench utility Michael Morgan said.

“They probably bring a calmness to other players,” he said.