‘In Billy we trust’: Slater’s ‘genius’ selection proves critics wrong as legend eats his words – MASHAHER

Queensland’s Billy Slater is looking more and more like a master-coach with every passing day, after the Maroons took Game I in a perfect start to their Origin three-peat bid.

Slater had been widely criticised, including by Origin great Paul Vautin, for his bold selection of versatile outside back Selwyn Cobbo in a bench assistant coach Josh Hannay yesterday described as “non-traditional”.

“Whoever wins gets the last laugh … if we come away with the result, everyone will laud our bench, if we don’t, everyone will laud their bench,” he said.

Slater picked just two forwards on his bench along with dummy-half Harry Grant and 21-year-old debutant Cobbo, while the Blues picked four forwards.

But when Reece Walsh was flattened by Joseph Suaalii in just the eighth minute – seeing the Queensland fullback ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a head knock and debutant Suaalii sent off – Cobbo’s selection was immediately vindicated.

He entered the game at centre, pushing Dolphins star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to the fullback role, with Queensland able to react perfectly to the loss of their young livewire.

Tabuai-Fidow revealed after the game that he had even spent time training in Maroons camp in the fullback position.

“We prepared for the unexpected and the unexpected happened,” Slater said in his post-match press conference.

The only place to watch every game of every round LIVE with no ad-breaks during play is Fox League, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

ORIGIN NEWS

FULL TIME: Maroons blow Blues away after historic send-off as NSW gamble backfires

NSW PLAYER RATINGS: Teddy’s brutal miss, new Blues cult hero erupts

QLD PLAYER RATINGS: DCE’s perfect statement as Hammer blitz seals Slater call

‘NOT DELIBERATE’: QLD legend’s shock defence of Blues rookie as hit sparks debate

CASUALTY WARD: Concussion confusion as Walsh passes HIA … but still ruled out

‘LUCKY WE TRAINED FOR IT’: Maroons flyer’s shock reveal after answering SOS

WATCH:Moment Maroons great confronts sent-off Blues star in fiery touchline clash

“I’m not happy with the bench,” ‘Fatty’ Vautin told 4BC in the build-up to the game. “I don’t understand why we’ve picked a winger-centre on the bench. I think we’re lacking another big forward.

“I’m not a selector, I’m never going to be a selector but I’m also entitled to my own opinion. Forwards win Origin games. They do all the hard work.

“I just don’t know how they’re going to get Selwyn into the game barring an injury, which we don’t want … I think we’re one forward short on the bench.”

After the game, the former Queensland coach behind the Maroons’ legendary 1995 series sweep was eating his words.

“Billy is a genius,” Vautin said on Channel 9.

“Earlier in the week, I said I’m old school, I think forwards win Origin and I would have had another big forward on the bench instead of Selwyn.

“Billy Slater just showed he’s a million times smarter than I am by selecting Selwyn Cobbo … the perfect situation tonight, Reece gets done, Selwyn’s on, he can play anywhere – centre, wing, fullback – and the Hammer goes back to fullback. Billy – too good.”

Queensland captain and player of the Match Daly Cherry-Evans said: “In Billy we trust. He put Selwyn on the bench, it was a master stroke. To be fair, we trained for it. Not that we wanted something to go wrong, but we just trained in case it did. So well done to Billy and the selectors and a really big pat on the back for the team for adjusting on the run.”

Slater had faced a barrage of questions over the make-up of his bench ever since selecting his team, with the Queensland mentor increasingly frustrated by the ongoing scrutiny of the critical decision.

In his final pre-match press conference, Slater tersely shut down the critics, stating he’s “spent a lot of time doing it [picking his side].”

“I know I’ve spent more time watching our Queenslanders than any other person.”

“There are risks, it’s a game of footy. There are risks everywhere, but they are calculated decisions,” Slater added.

“This is what we feel is best for our footy team.

“There doesn’t have to be an injury for Selwyn to be on the field, he will be out there. I’m looking forward to him getting his game on.

“He is a big body and a wonderful player, so he may pop up anywhere.”

But throughout the build-up, Slater repeatedly pointed to one damning statistic.

“Four of the last six Origin games we’ve had to replace an outside back,” Slater said.

After Reece Walsh’s Category 1 HIA ruled him out for the game, that stat now stands at five from seven games.

“Hammer was great slipping into the fullback position,” Slater said in his post-match press conference. “The team has adapted to adversity the last three years.”

Compare that to NSW coach Michael Maguire, who went all-in on forwards in his own bench selection – something that left them short of more mobile defenders when they went a man down.

“I don’t think anyone has ever planned for a send-off in an Origin game,” he said when asked about his bench composition.

Maybe not – after all, this was just the sixth send-off in Origin history. But Slater appears to have been better-prepared for a worst-case scenario. Queensland was able to immediately reshuffle the deck after Walsh’s injury, while Maguire’s handling of the interchange was poor – including captain Jake Trbojevic playing less than half an hour.

One Slater comment looks particularly prescient with the benefit of hindsight.

“We’ll build what’s best for the team, but that might be taken out of our hands,” he said before the game.

“Like I said, four of the last six Origin games, we’ve had to replace an outside back, so if that happens again, Selwyn’s a wonderful player to be on the bench, isn’t he?”

Wonderful indeed – and so was their record-breaking win at Accor Stadium.

And when Slater names his team for Origin II, it’ll take a brave critic to question the bench selections.