State of Origin: Queensland coach Billy Slater welcomes pressure cooker of must-win game
Queensland may look to have their backs against the wall on the eve of State of Origin game two in Perth — but Maroons coach Billy Slater is looking only at the opportunities presenting themselves.
New South Wales have the upper hand in the best-of-three series ahead of Wednesday night's Optus Stadium blockbuster between the two great rivals, but Slater said his side were ready to right the wrongs of game one.
The ex-Melbourne Storm great said the pressure was palpable — but was quick to point out it was a good thing.
'What is pressure like? To me, the opposite of pressure is comfort, so you're either comfortable or you're in a precious situation, and I think you earn that opportunity,' he said.
'Whether it's a player or a coach to be in this environment, you've earned that pressure and because it means so much to the people of our states, it means so much to the people involved in the game, of course there's pressure.
'The day there's no pressure, I'll be worried.'
Queensland are yet to taste victory in WA, having fallen in the previous two Perth Origin clashes in 2019 and 2022 by scores of 38-6 and 44-12.
And since taking over as Maroons coach in 2022, this is the first time Slater's team have faced a 1-0 deficit in Origin.
'What a great opportunity, right? We haven't won over here. We've had a couple of poor performances the last time Queensland have played here, and we haven't won a series on the road since being 1-0 down,' Slater said.
'That's a great opportunity for this group, and it's also an outcome, it's a big picture focus. We're really focused on the little things — we didn't quite get the little things right in game one.'
Given Laurie Daly's side's dominant 18-6 win at Suncorp Stadium, you could forgive the Blues for cutting relaxed figures on Tuesday, but NSW skipper Isaah Yeo warned his side against complacency.
'Being captain, it's all about your preparation and getting that right, so I wouldn't be doing the right job if I was too busy worrying about that (complacency),' he said.
'The preparation obviously had its challenges at the start of the week, but it was probably similar for us in game one.'
Wests Tigers five-eighth Jarome Luai is back in the no.6 jersey for NSW in the absence of Mitch Moses, bolstering an already star-studded backs group.
He will be reunited with his former Penrith Panthers partner in the halves Nathan Cleary, who said he was looking forward to playing alongside his ex-teammate.
'It's sinking in again I get to play alongside him. We've played in big games together in the past,' he said.
'Him going him to another club and then versing him just the other week, was a weird experience to be honest.
'He brings that energy that everyone sees, he's definitely not afraid of the moment or big games.'
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The Advertiser
30 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Slater says Maroons won't be dictated to on kick-off
A defiant Billy Slater has declared Queensland won't be pressured into kicking off to NSW firebrand Spencer Leniu in State of Origin II. As Maroons prop Tino Fa'asuamaleaui said he was not scared of Leniu on Tuesday, Slater would not be drawn on whether the Maroons would kick to the Blues front-rower. Of the four long kick-offs from Queensland in their game one loss, none went to Leniu or Payne Haas, in what has since been labelled by some as a pre-determined plan. The situation left Leniu fuming, with the Sydney Roosters prop appearing to swear in frustration as the Maroons changed the direction of their kick to avoid him. Haas has largely stayed away from the debate over the past week, but on Monday said he would want the ball kicked off to Leniu if he was in the Queensland side, since he'd want the chance to take down a powerful rival. Former NSW front-rower Willie Mason has also accused the Maroons of being "s**t scared" of Leniu, while Braith Anasta labelled Queensland "weak". Slater dodged a question on Tuesday on whether Leniu would have the chance to take a hit-up from a kick-off at Optus Stadium. But the Maroons coach did defend his team's right to prioritise their own tactics over the entertainment factor. "We don't ask Nathan (Cleary) to kick to a specific corner. He does what he wants," Slater said of the Blues halfback. "He gets his game on. So, we'll be getting our game on. "I get all the dilemma about it, but at the end of the day, it's about building a game and a game plan that best suits you. "It's not about what (the media) want or anyone else wants." Asked about the issue, Maroons front-rower Fa'asuamaleaui rejected any suggestion Queensland's pack were scared of Leniu. "I'm not scared of anyone," Fa'asuamaleaui said. "I just want to do my job for Queensland and I'm not going to back down from anyone and that's our whole team. "We're just going to get out there, get our game on and do what we do best and play our game. "(We're) not backing down from anyone." Slater wouldn't say whether Queensland would make late changes to their pack, or if Kurt Mann could start at hooker in place of Harry Grant. The Maroons have won six of eight games when Grant has come off the bench, as opposed to a 0-4 record with him starting. NSW second-rower Angus Crichton had accused Queensland of mind games last week, refusing to believe Jeremiah Nanai and Pat Carrigan weren't starting. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has already let slip that he will move to the right wing at Optus Stadium, after playing left centre in the series-opening 18-6 loss in Brisbane. That defeat has piled the pressure on Slater, who has already axed captain Daly Cherry-Evans and replaced him with Tom Dearden in the halves. A defiant Billy Slater has declared Queensland won't be pressured into kicking off to NSW firebrand Spencer Leniu in State of Origin II. As Maroons prop Tino Fa'asuamaleaui said he was not scared of Leniu on Tuesday, Slater would not be drawn on whether the Maroons would kick to the Blues front-rower. Of the four long kick-offs from Queensland in their game one loss, none went to Leniu or Payne Haas, in what has since been labelled by some as a pre-determined plan. The situation left Leniu fuming, with the Sydney Roosters prop appearing to swear in frustration as the Maroons changed the direction of their kick to avoid him. Haas has largely stayed away from the debate over the past week, but on Monday said he would want the ball kicked off to Leniu if he was in the Queensland side, since he'd want the chance to take down a powerful rival. Former NSW front-rower Willie Mason has also accused the Maroons of being "s**t scared" of Leniu, while Braith Anasta labelled Queensland "weak". Slater dodged a question on Tuesday on whether Leniu would have the chance to take a hit-up from a kick-off at Optus Stadium. But the Maroons coach did defend his team's right to prioritise their own tactics over the entertainment factor. "We don't ask Nathan (Cleary) to kick to a specific corner. He does what he wants," Slater said of the Blues halfback. "He gets his game on. So, we'll be getting our game on. "I get all the dilemma about it, but at the end of the day, it's about building a game and a game plan that best suits you. "It's not about what (the media) want or anyone else wants." Asked about the issue, Maroons front-rower Fa'asuamaleaui rejected any suggestion Queensland's pack were scared of Leniu. "I'm not scared of anyone," Fa'asuamaleaui said. "I just want to do my job for Queensland and I'm not going to back down from anyone and that's our whole team. "We're just going to get out there, get our game on and do what we do best and play our game. "(We're) not backing down from anyone." Slater wouldn't say whether Queensland would make late changes to their pack, or if Kurt Mann could start at hooker in place of Harry Grant. The Maroons have won six of eight games when Grant has come off the bench, as opposed to a 0-4 record with him starting. NSW second-rower Angus Crichton had accused Queensland of mind games last week, refusing to believe Jeremiah Nanai and Pat Carrigan weren't starting. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has already let slip that he will move to the right wing at Optus Stadium, after playing left centre in the series-opening 18-6 loss in Brisbane. That defeat has piled the pressure on Slater, who has already axed captain Daly Cherry-Evans and replaced him with Tom Dearden in the halves. A defiant Billy Slater has declared Queensland won't be pressured into kicking off to NSW firebrand Spencer Leniu in State of Origin II. As Maroons prop Tino Fa'asuamaleaui said he was not scared of Leniu on Tuesday, Slater would not be drawn on whether the Maroons would kick to the Blues front-rower. Of the four long kick-offs from Queensland in their game one loss, none went to Leniu or Payne Haas, in what has since been labelled by some as a pre-determined plan. The situation left Leniu fuming, with the Sydney Roosters prop appearing to swear in frustration as the Maroons changed the direction of their kick to avoid him. Haas has largely stayed away from the debate over the past week, but on Monday said he would want the ball kicked off to Leniu if he was in the Queensland side, since he'd want the chance to take down a powerful rival. Former NSW front-rower Willie Mason has also accused the Maroons of being "s**t scared" of Leniu, while Braith Anasta labelled Queensland "weak". Slater dodged a question on Tuesday on whether Leniu would have the chance to take a hit-up from a kick-off at Optus Stadium. But the Maroons coach did defend his team's right to prioritise their own tactics over the entertainment factor. "We don't ask Nathan (Cleary) to kick to a specific corner. He does what he wants," Slater said of the Blues halfback. "He gets his game on. So, we'll be getting our game on. "I get all the dilemma about it, but at the end of the day, it's about building a game and a game plan that best suits you. "It's not about what (the media) want or anyone else wants." Asked about the issue, Maroons front-rower Fa'asuamaleaui rejected any suggestion Queensland's pack were scared of Leniu. "I'm not scared of anyone," Fa'asuamaleaui said. "I just want to do my job for Queensland and I'm not going to back down from anyone and that's our whole team. "We're just going to get out there, get our game on and do what we do best and play our game. "(We're) not backing down from anyone." Slater wouldn't say whether Queensland would make late changes to their pack, or if Kurt Mann could start at hooker in place of Harry Grant. The Maroons have won six of eight games when Grant has come off the bench, as opposed to a 0-4 record with him starting. NSW second-rower Angus Crichton had accused Queensland of mind games last week, refusing to believe Jeremiah Nanai and Pat Carrigan weren't starting. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has already let slip that he will move to the right wing at Optus Stadium, after playing left centre in the series-opening 18-6 loss in Brisbane. That defeat has piled the pressure on Slater, who has already axed captain Daly Cherry-Evans and replaced him with Tom Dearden in the halves.
7NEWS
an hour ago
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AFL ‘very worried' about long-term contracts amid massive offers for West Coast star Harley Reid
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News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Is trash talk in Origin dead?!
RLG: Following the lack of war of words between the two camps in the build up to the first two games of the Origin series, it's led to the debate as to whether trash talk is dead in Origin.
