Slater will have big calls to make

THE Maroons have appealed to coach Billy Slater for a second chance, insisting they can defy State of Origin history and deliver Queensland’s rookie coach a series win in his debut campaign.

The Origin series is headed for a blockbuster decider at Suncorp Stadium after Queensland was thrashed 44-12 by the revived Blues in Perth on Sunday night.

The 32-point hammering was Queensland’s equal third heaviest defeat in Origin’s 42year history, making NSW red-hot favourites for the July 13 decider in Brisbane.

While Queensland has won eight of the past nine deciders and 14 of 21 (two draws) overall, the Maroons must create history to clinch the 2022 series on home soil.

Neither state has won a series after conceding 40 points in a game and the Maroons were well beaten at Optus Stadium following a gritty 16-10 Origin I win in Sydney.

While Slater wants to show faith in his young team, the Maroons were well off the pace in Perth and positions will come under review.

Rookie wingers Selwyn Cobbo (three errors) and Murray Taulagi were targeted by Nathan Cleary and Matt Burton’s kicking games and bench backrower Jeremiah Nanai’s limp defence was exposed.

Hooker Harry Grant said Queensland’s smashed 17 had

earned their positions and wanted a shot at redemption. “That’s for Billy and the coaches to decide, but I think we’ve got a really close group and everyone’s earnt that jersey,” he said. “We’ve got one game at club level to fix our performances. I wasn’t happy with mine, that’s for sure. “The beauty of State of Origin is it’s a series. We’ve got one more game. You can’t fault the effort, they just played a really good brand of footy. They moved the ball a lot and played really well. We were desperate, but not enough. We get the chance to go to Suncorp and have another crack.” The Maroons overcame the controversial sin-binning of Felise Kaufusi to trail 14-12 after 50 minutes, but then the floodgates opened. Queensland’s 10 errors gifted NSW too much prime field position and the Maroons were forced to make 316 tackles to NSW’s 229. The Maroons also missed an incredible 54 tackles to NSW’s 15, with Slater attributing Queensland’s struggles to “concentration errors”. The midfield battle was not a battle at all as Blues props Junior Paulo (128m), Jake Trbojevic (135m) and Payne Haas (106m) trampled Josh Papalii (40m), Lindsay Collins (49m), Jai Arrow (34m) and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (77m). Pat Carrigan (100m) was the only Queensland forward to eclipse 100m.