Slater already a champion

IT was hard to keep the eyes dry listening to State of Origin captain Billy Slater reminisce about his life and rugby league career before Game III kick-off on Wednesday night.

The Channel 9 nod to the country’s best full-back’s representative career underscored who Slater is and his roots which run deep in the rich red soil of Innisfail.

Stories like Slater’s are what make sport powerful and can bring a state or country together. Or break it apart … it’ll be all right England, there’s always the next World Cup.

The third Origin game was a ripper and a fitting finale for our Far Northern hero who for the first time was captain.

There has been strong debate though about whether Slater should have been named Player of the Series.

The Cairns Post is a huge fan of Billy Slater, but strip away the emotion around his representative retirement and it’s pretty clear.

He should not have been named best of the series. For a start he didn’t play all three. Other names have been offered such as Tedesco and Gagai and everyone will have an opinion. That’s what sport’s about.

Importantly Queensland showed its true colours and fought back to claim the third which will send a little shiver down the spine of every New South Welshman ahead of next year.

Slater is a champion but this week we saw a glimpse of a new dynasty step out of his shadow and those cast by Thurston, Smith and Cronk.

He didn’t need to be named Player of the Series. He’s already a champion in our eyes. Jennifer Spilsbury Editor