Queensland Maroons coach Billy Slater has confirmed his team for Game 2 of the 2023 State of Origin series, with three forced changes.
All of Selwyn Cobbo, Jai Arrow and Tom Gilbert have been ruled out through injury for the second game of the series. The two forwards are also expected to miss Game 3, with Arrow missing through an ankle injury, and Gilbert's season over after dislocating his shoulder in Game 1.
Cobbo, on the other hand, aggrivated a hip flexor injury sustained in Game 1 when he played for the Brisbane Broncos against the Newcastle Knights on the weekend.
The replacements have seen Melbourne Storm winger Xavier Coates, North Queensland Cowboys second-rower Jeremiah Nanai, and Gold Coast Titans prop Moeaki Fotuaika join the team.
Coates comes in after playing six Origins for Queensland over the last three years, but being overlooked for Game 1 of this year's series.
His coach Craig Bellamy said on Sunday after Melbourne's 54 points to 10 win over the Sharks that he believes Coates, who has scored 7 tries in 12 games this year, should have been picked for Game 1.
"I thought he would have been picked in the first one with all due respect, but having said that, Billy [Slater] has a tough job. When you start talking State of Origin, there is a whole heap of players names that come up that they'd fit in that side good, but it's really hard to pick 17," Bellamy said after the game.
"He carried on today with his form. He has been really good over the last six or seven weeks and he is a wonderfully hard worker. Things he wants to work on in his game, he always puts his time and effort in."
Coates wins the race for a wing spot ahead of Corey Oates and Dane Gagai, who was controversially cut from Queensland's side for the series-opener after being a consistent Origin performer for Queensland for years.
Meanwhile, the selection of Fotuaika comes with glowing recommendations from Titans' captain and fellow Queensland forward Tino Fa'asuamaleaui.
“Definitely,” Fa'asuamaleaui said on Thursday evening after a win over the Wests Tigers when asked whether Fotuaika deserved a recall to the Queensland side.
“I think he has been playing very good. He has been our best player mostly every week.
“Obviously there have been some injuries, and I'm hoping his name is tossed up. It hasn't been tossed up too much I guess in the media, but he is just the guy who does the little stuff and works hard. It goes unnoticed, but I'm hoping he gets picked in the team.
“He just does all the little efforts. A couple of times there he filled the space and put some big tackles up. On the back-end of that with his running, he is taking the tough carry that no one wants to take and I'm so glad I get toi play with him because he is the type of player everyone wants to play with.
Fotuaika has been among the best for the Titans this year, averaging 157 metres per game to go with 27 tackle breaks, 13 offloads and a tackle efficiency of over 95 per cent.
He played four Origins for Queensland in 2020 and 2021, but missed out last year as Queensland went in a different direction during Billy Slater's first series as coach.
Nanai's return may come as something of a surprise to Queensland fans.
Suspended for the last four weeks, he missed Origin 1 after playing last year's series, but his form at both ends of the park has been well short of what he was able to produce last season.
His inclusion means a returning Felise Kaufusi, who also missed Game 1 through suspension, remains on the outer of the side, while Kurt Capewell is another in the veterans department who was overlooked for Game 1 and misses out again here.
Other forwards in contention J'maine Hopgood and Corey Horsburgh have also missed out in what is an otherwise unchanged side for Queensland heading into a game where they can clinch the series after winning the opener in Adelaide.
Horsburgh has earned a spot in the squad as 19th man, replacing Melbourne captain Christian Welch, who has been charged for dangerous contact after a hip drop tackle on Sunday, while AJ Brimson is the 18th man, replacing Tom Dearden.
Game 2 will be played on Wednesday, June 21 in Brisbane.
1. Reece Walsh (Brisbane Broncos)
2. Xavier Coates (Melbourne Storm)
3. Valentine Holmes (North Queensland Cowboys)
4. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (The Dolphins)
5. Murray Taulagi (North Queensland Cowboys)
6. Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
7. Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles)
8. Lindsay Collins (Sydney Roosters)
9. Ben Hunt (St George Illawarra Dragons)
10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Gold Coast Titans)
11. David Fifita (Gold Coast Titans)
12. Jeremiah Nanai (North Queensland Cowboys)
13. Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
14. Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
15. Thomas Flegler (Brisbane Broncos)
16. Reuben Cotter (North Queensland Cowboys)
17. Moeaki Fotuaika (Gold Coast Titans)
18. AJ Brimson (Gold Coast Titans)
19. Corey Horsburgh (Canberra Raiders)