Despite his side claiming victory in Origin I on enemy territory, Queensland legend Darren Lockyer is of the belief that Billy Slater may yet tinker with his starting 13 ahead of Sunday's kick-off in Perth.
While the balance of senior names earning starting spots and youthful impact coming from the bench served the Sunshine Staters well earlier this month, the possibility of making alterations could yet come to fruition.
Though Slater named Lindsay Collins in the front row and Ben Hunt as his starting nine ahead of respective talents in Pat Carrigan and Harry Grant, Lockyer hinted before Channel Nineย cameras that the status quo could be shifted.
Speaking on the role the pair of rakes would play, the 38-time Queensland representative explained the rationale behind granting Hunt the starting position over Grant.
โThe concept is that Ben takes the sting out of the game and allows Harry to come on and do his thing,โ Lockyer said.
โI think there was a theory that Ben Hunt, when he came back onto the field late, might have gone into lock, but Connor was going so good, he (Slater) didnโt want to bring him off.
โWhen Ben came out in his second stint, he made that break and bombed a try, but he made a break from nine, so I think weโll see something very similar."
Given Carrigan's performance after coming off the pine also played a leading hand in seeing the Maroons earn a series lead, Lockyer also stressed that his former teammate would likely wish to see more of the same.
โSometimes when I get to these big games, I look at the bench first before I look at the one to thirteen,โ the 45-year-old delineated.
โThe bench plays a big part in the outcome of the result of a big game. Our bench was really, really good in game one, and I think Billyโs just thinking that Carrigan was so good when he came off the bench that he wants the same effort, or the same impact, from him."
Still, it wouldn't be Origin week without some form of posturing, and with Lockyer and Slater maintaining a close relationship, the former suggested that Slater could still get an itchy trigger finger before Sunday.
โMaybe there might be some late changes,โ Lockyer said with a knowing chuckle.
Across the course of the series opener, Carrigan and Grant combined to carve up 221 metres in comparison to the 161 created by the duo of Collins and Hunt.
So, should Slater place a premium on early metres and effort, Lockyer's elusions towards alterations could well come to fruition.
Kick-off for game two is scheduled for 7:50pm (AEST) at Perth's Optus Stadium this Sunday night.
