‘When I make a decision, it's not a guess': Key moves that helped Billy Slater orchestrate Origin miracle

News.com.au

10-07-2025

The blowtorch is being applied to Laurie Daley and the Blues after they capitulated to lose the State of Origin decider, but it's time to shine a light on Billy Slater after the Queensland legend put on a coaching masterclass to win back the shield.
His future was being questioned from the moment they lost the opener in Brisbane, and the pressure only intensified when people saw the squad for Perth and wondered whether he had lost the plot.
Daly Cherry-Evans was dropped as captain, stars were moved to the bench and veterans recalled in what appeared to be a final throw at the stumps.
But while they seemed like gambles, the man who grew up working with horses seemed to pull the right rein every single time as he engineered one of the great series upsets despite being faced with plenty of obstacles along the way.
THE MUNNY MAN
No coaching manual could have prepared Slater for how to deal with Cameron Munster after the superstar five-eighth lost his father just days before the Origin decider.
But he took the coach's hat off and defaulted to being the friend that played with Munster at the Storm and was there as he starred on debut for the Maroons in the 2017 decider.
The tears they shed on the field after the game were a reflection of their tough bond and the shared pain they've gone through this year.
'I won't do it justice, but it starts as being a friend,' Slater told the NewsWire in the Accor Stadium sheds after the 24-12 win.
'The moment he told me on the phone, to me turning up in his room, I felt the sadness and I felt the loss. But I also know what he was feeling because I was there four or five months ago.
'He was very unsure about a lot of things, but the only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to play on Wednesday night.
'He didn't know what to do after that, so that's why I pretty much told him what we was going to do. He had to go home and he needed to be with his mum and sister – that was his priority.
'Going through a couple of tragedies over the past few months like I have, I knew he had to be with his family, and that's where we got him.'
NOT A CHERRY PICKER
Dropping veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans will go down as the series-defining move, with Slater backing Munster as captain and elevating Tom Dearden into the starting side.
It was a bold call, it was a tough call, but it was the right call, as Dearden dominated the final two games to win the Wally Lewis Medal.
The famed pick-and-stick policy had to change given they weren't winning, with Slater also rewarded for bringing back Josh Papalii for the decider, while the choice to pick Robert Toia after just 10 NRL appearances also worked a treat.
'I don't look for justification,' Slater said, beaming with pride after Gehamat Shibasaki set up a try after earning a shock call-up to make his Origin debut in the decider.
'I knew we had to go and help the Queensland Origin team. When I made that decision with my family, I made it for the right reasons.
'Every decision that I'm a part of is for the right reasons.
'There's scrutiny, there's debate and there's conversation, and I get that. I'm in the media so I completely get it because it's a part of the excitement and attraction of our game.
'But until you're sitting in this position and your opinion means something and you have to live by it … I watch so much footy because that's what this job and the players deserve, so when I make a decision, it's not a guess. It's a calculated decision on what I really feel.'
PRIDE OF THE STATE
Slater doesn't like ranking career achievements, but this one has to be right up there after they achieved a breakthrough win in Perth to keep the series alive and then ambushed their rivals in Sydney with a faultless first 40 minutes.
While the Blues were overly loyal in their selections, Slater was never afraid to make the tough calls that all came off as his troops lifted to bring him another series win.
'This footy team is so special,' he said.
'It was special when I was 10, it was special when I was wearing a pair of footy boots and playing in the team, and it's special now.
'I just love the joy from the players after they achieve something, and then you think about the 5½ million Queenslanders that are inspired by these men.
'There are so many inspirational stories here tonight from Gehamat Shibasaki to Cameron Munster and Josh Papalii.
'There are so many Queenslanders inspired by individuals and collectively inspired by this team's resilience, and that's how Queenslanders live.
'It's no disrespect to anyone else, but that's who we are.'