A Maroons star gave Slater a scare. Now he's ready to be ‘the difference'
Queensland Maroons strike weapon Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has been cleared to take his place in Wednesday's State of Origin series launch, after giving coach Billy Slater a huge injury scare.
The Dolphins star suffered a knock to his knee on Sunday as the side completed an opposed training session on the Sunshine Coast, with Slater admitting he was briefly concerned he may lose his famed speedster.
'The Hammer' has proved to be one of the Maroons' attacking linchpins, scoring nine tries in his seven Origin appearances, the most famous being his match-winning heroics in Adelaide when his team was down a man in 2023.
His absence could have robbed pundits of an enthralling centre battle with New South Wales counterpart Stephen Crichton, who missed the Blues' captain's run with a quad complaint and will reportedly be given until Wednesday morning to prove his fitness.
But at the end of a camp that came with its fair share of concerns – Pat Carrigan's facial surgery on the eve of selections, and Kalyn Ponga's delayed arrival due to severe weather in Newcastle – Slater confirmed his superstar was in no doubt.
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'I must admit, I held my breath for a couple of seconds, but he just got a bit of a bump. He pulled through it fine,' Slater said on Tuesday. 'It was just a bit of contact, he's all right.
'Thankfully, for not just Queensland but the Dolphins and Hamiso in general, he's OK.'
Much of the fanfare surrounding the Maroons' selections has been dominated by the comebacks of five-eighth Cameron Munster and prop Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, who both missed the 2024 series defeat through injury.
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