State of Origin 2024 Game Three, news, preview, burning questions, teams, NSW vs QLD, Kalyn Ponga, Reece Walsh, benches – MASHAHER

It’s game day and the series is on the line at Suncorp Stadium in a hotly-anticipated State of Origin decider.

Billy Slater has again taken a bench gamble, while Michael Maguire has relentlessly prodded the Maroons coach in what has been a fiery build-up to the series finale.

Latrell Mitchell is a huge out for NSW, and with Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans turning 36 in February, will this be his last game for the Maroons?

Read on for all the burning questions ahead of Game III!

LIVE BLOG: Follow all the action from the Origin decider!

ULTIMATE GUIDE: Everything you need to know ahead of Game III

START TIME: WHEN WILL GAME III KICK OFF?

TEAMS: NSW & QLD GAME III TEAMS

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 >

WILL MADGE’S FIERY NEW STYLE PAY OFF?

Where the hell did this new version of Michael Maguire come from?

The former Rabbitohs and Tigers coach has traded his previously mild-mannered self – at least in public – to become one of rugby league’s biggest s***- stirrers.

Maguire unleashed at Slater after his side’s 38-10 Game One defeat in Sydney with his now-infamous “glass houses” comment in response to the flak Joseph Suaalii copped after almost taking Reece Walsh’s head off before being sent off in the eighth minute.

And ‘Madge’ has not let up since, having also bagged Slater for cancelling an all-in media day and declaring NSW “the team of the people”.

It has not only provided a wonderful narrative, but crucially took the heat off NSW ahead of their Game Two 38-18 annihilation of Queensland. They posted 34 unanswered first-half points – the biggest haul in Origin history – despite the pressure of being just one defeat away from losing a third successive series.

As much as Maguire has tried to get his counterpart to bite, Slater has refused to take the bait from the NSW mentor (who previously coached him at the Storm), with the Maroons boss remaining ice cool in the lead-up to the decider.

Luckily, Maroons legends have been lining up to hit back at Madge on Billy’s behalf.

“All of us live in glass houses, actually he wouldn’t know, he never played Origin,” Queensland great Gorden Tallis recently said of Maguire on NRL360.

“You know what, I saw Madge in Melbourne at the airport and I thanked him. It’s so good, it’s refreshing. As the Tigers coach he had no personality.

“He might even get sacked from this job. He got sacked from Souths and sacked from the Tigers.

“I played against Madge and he probably was never targeted, no one even knew he was on the field.”

And while Maguire has done his best to take the focus off his team with his uncharacteristic antics, there will be nowhere to hide at a packed Suncorp on Wednesday night as the Blues attempt to avoid a third-straight series defeat.

‘NO HIDING’ FOR BEST … BUT WILL LATRELL LOSS PROVE CRUCIAL?

Bradman Best will take Latrell Mitchell’s place after beating out Tom Trbojevic, Matt Burton and Joseph Suaalii in what many are calling a psychological loss for the Blues.

Mitchell’s withdrawal from Game Three with a foot injury is a huge blow after the 27-year-old terrorised Queensland’s right edge in the Game Two thumping of the Maroons.

Mitchell’s inclusion proved instrumental for the Blues after the Rabbitoh was overlooked by Maguire for Game One heartbreaker Suaalii.

22-year-old Best was superb in New South Wales’ 24-10 victory in Game III last year, scoring two tries on debut to establish himself as a potential future Origin star.

He’s been in sensational form for the Knights in 2024 and was considered a frontrunner for this year’s series before a hamstring injury ruled him out of contention for Game One.

He was overlooked for Mitchell in Game Two, and legends are concerned that – as good as Best is – he lacks the commanding ‘presence’ of the so-called Taree Ferrari.

“I think with Latrell, maybe it’s a try (he’s worth), I don’t know. I tell you what it is, it’s presence, that’s what it is,” Matthew Johns said recently on the Matty Johns Podcast.

“It’s what he does to his teammates and I think he does intimidate opposition players.”

Cooper Cronk said Best facing off against Knights teammate Dane Gagai in the decider would give the Maroons centre the edge after knowing his game inside out.

“I think about it this way. Bradman left centre, Dane Gagai right centre and I’m only guessing here but I’d imagine Dane Gagai has taught Bradman Best basically all he knows in rugby league about defending in the centres,” Cronk said.

“So you’ve got a bit of the young dog up against the old bull type thing and I think Gagai would know the weaknesses of Best. When you play a teammate at this level you pick them apart – there’s no hiding things.”

IS THIS THE END FOR DCE?

Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans refuses to talk Origin retirement – but with the No.7 turning 36 next February, there is every chance this game will be his last for Queensland.

Debuting for the Maroons in Game Two back in 2013, Cherry-Evans was again selected in 2014, before being seemingly banished until his 2018 Game Three recall.

He was named Queensland captain ahead of the 2019 series and has remained a mainstay ever since, and will make his 25th appearance for the Maroons tonight at Suncorp.

It is the halfback’s 18th consecutive match for his state.

“I promise you there won’t be an announcement. (When) I will be sailing off into the sunset, people won’t know until the off-season,” Cherry-Evans, who was named Game One Man of the Match, told reporters on Monday.

“I won’t want any special treatment for that sort of stuff. I don’t make these decisions during the year. I do my best thinking in the off-season but while I am in the thick of it I am just going to keep enjoying it.

“I love this job and it is crazy that I even call it a job. I love everything that comes with it. I don’t need a fairytale to finish.

“I am playing for reasons: I enjoy and love the game and I love playing for Queensland. There is all my family that enjoys watching me play for Queensland.

“For as long as I am good enough to hold a spot in this team, it will be very hard to pass up in the future.”

He added: “I got dropped (in 2015) and wasn’t playing well enough to keep a spot in this side. I earned my spot back (in 2018) and I have literally played every game like it is my last.”

IS QUEENSLAND’S BENCH TOO SMALL … AGAIN?

Much has been made of both teams’ interchange selections throughout the series, highlighted by Slater’s decision to put Selwyn Cobbo on the bench for Game One.

It proved a masterstroke after Walsh went down in just the eighth minute after copping an ugly shot from Suaalii. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow slotted straight into fullback and Cobbo moved to centre.

Cobbo was dropped for Game Two with Kurt Capewell coming onto the bench in his place.

However, Capewell has been named in the starting side for Game Three with Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga taking his place on the interchange.

Many are salivating at the prospect of Ponga and Walsh potentially combining at Suncorp, but will his inclusion come at the cost of having too little grunt up front?

The Maroons’ bench is rounded out with an injury-hampered Harry Grant, Moeaki Fotuaika and veteran Felise Kaufusi.

NSW carved through Queensland’s forwards like a hot knife through butter in Game Two as they laid the platform for a 34-0 lead at the break – the biggest first-half deficit in Origin history.

Maguire, meanwhile, has again named a hulking interchange comprised of Mitch Barnett, Spencer Leniu, Isaah Yeo and the more agile Connor Watson.

A huge potential Maroons omission is David Fifita who has hit a purple patch of form for the Titans.

“Dave was a serious consideration but we feel that the 17 players that have been chosen are the 17 players that have earned the opportunity to be here,” Slater said.

“All Queenslanders are considered and Dave is a name that has been in the conversation for all games.

“He started the season a bit behind the eight-ball and he’s still working back to the standard that he created for himself last year. I’m sure he’d be the first to admit that.”

Before Game One, Slater was criticised for selecting a bench light on forward enforcers, but it turned out perfectly. Will it pay off again this time around?

TWO FULLBACKS … AT THE SAME TIME?

Speaking of the benches, the most interesting inclusion is that of Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga.

While Reece Walsh is established at fullback, he struggled in Game II after his unfortunate early exit in Game I.

It has raised the prospect of Queensland coach Billy Slater potentially hooking him for Ponga if the Broncos tyro struggles to establish himself early in the decider.

Ponga has previously impressed playing in the middle at Origin level, coming on to wreak havoc against tired defences with his agility and improvisational play.

And Slater has praised his versatility, refusing to give away any hints as to how he will deploy the Knights star.

“He’s trained in multiple positions on the field, and what a luxury to have Kalyn Ponga sitting on the bench where you can put him on anywhere you want,” Slater said. “Obviously playing alongside him, being his coach, I know what he brings.”

Skipper Daly Cherry-Evans hinted on Monday that Ponga would be deployed in the middles but given free rein in attack.

Speaking on NRL 360, Paul Crawley said: “It’s an interesting one. I don’t think anyone can question Reece wasn’t at his best in Game II after coming back from the knockout and not playing.

“He didn’t have a forward pack that were dominating, they had nothing going for them, they had very little possession.

“It will be interesting to see how he does respond. If he goes out there and has a shocker I would probably think you’d have them both at the same time.”

“You’d have to be going back to hook him. I think the grand plan is to have them on at the same time,” Queensland great Gorden Tallis said.

“Do you think he would hook him?” Braith Anasta asked.

“No, because I think Billy sees a lot of himself in Reece and Billy was one of those guys that tried so much,” Tallis replied.

“Look, last year Reece set up I think 100 scoring plays, he makes mistakes, but he set up 100. No one else did.”

“I don’t think Billy would hook him, I really don’t,” Dave Riccio said.

“If we go back about 10 weeks ago before Kalyn got injured and the first seed was planted that Billy wanted both of these guys in the team.

“It was about having them on the field at the same time.”

It hearkens back to Ponga’s Origin debut back in 2018. In the first half of Game II, Ponga – then just 20 years old and with just 24 games of NRL experience – was brought on alongside the established fullback, none other than Billy Slater himself.

In attack, they played as damaging dual fullbacks, while Ponga was also praised for his defence in the line.

Now Slater is coach, and Ponga is back on the bench, but we could well see shades of 2018 in Queensland’s approach.