Premiership great Luke Keary has raised serious doubts about the reasoning behind Reece Walsh's shock omission from the Queensland State of Origin side, claiming there is more to the decision than meets the eye.
Walsh, who starred in Brisbane's grand final victory last year and was a key figure in the Kangaroos' Ashes triumph, has been left out of the Maroons' squad entirely. Kalyn Ponga has been selected to wear the No.1 jersey instead.
Queensland coach Billy Slater described the decision as "difficult" and suggested it was based on Ponga being in a "sweet spot" of form compared to Walsh not playing "his best football" after returning from a facial fracture.
Keary Points to Suspicious Timing
However, Keary highlighted a predicted team named a week earlier by Queensland legend Cam Smith as a potential red flag. Smith, who works as a leadership consultant at the Brisbane Broncos, left Walsh out of his hypothetical squad.
"Last week Cam Smith, Queensland legend and very close friend of Billy Slater, named his Queensland team and it didn’t have Reece Walsh in it," Keary said on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters. "Cam Smith works at the Brisbane Broncos as a leadership consultant so he’s obviously close with Reece and that team, for him to not have (Walsh) in that team, it was very, very bizarre to me. Very bizarre."
Slater's acknowledgement that Walsh "was one of the most influential players in the Queensland team in 2023" only added to the confusion, according to Keary.
"There’s something that doesn’t add up and I don’t know how to explain it," Keary said. When asked if he believes the decision was not purely based on form, he replied: "No way. No way."
Ponga to Wear No.1 Jersey
Ponga will line up at fullback for the Maroons in game one. Keary accepted that Queensland don't have to explain their decision publicly, but he remains skeptical.
"It’s obviously a conversation Billy will have with Reece in the background," he added. "I just find it very hard to believe that the Clive Churchill medallist, the best player in the Ashes series, he’s probably the best player, behind Nathan Cleary, when he’s on — and he hasn’t been off this year. He got injured but he hasn’t been off, and Kalyn’s been injured too. This isn’t like Kalyn’s absolute lit up the competition."
Broncos and Queensland great Corey Parker also expressed bewilderment that Walsh "wasn’t at least in the 20-man squad."
"If you want to go with Kalyn Ponga at fullback that’s fine," Parker said. "But I was baffled given the fact that Ezra Mam at 18, Gehamat Shibasaki at 19 and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki at 20 — I was thinking that Reece could’ve maybe found himself in that area somewhere given the type of player he is."
Questions Over Smith's Knowledge
Journalist Riccio questioned whether Smith had inside information about Walsh's standing with Slater. "Are we led to believe this is form and form only?" he said. "Cameron Smith, who has a great affinity with Reece Walsh both through the Queensland Origin arena and working with the Broncos, that a week before the teams are picked he coincidentally leaves Reece Walsh out? He knows something — unless we’re reading Reece Walsh’s form incorrectly."
Walsh has recorded just one try, two try assists and one line break in his past three games — all losses, including two by heavy margins. In contrast, Ponga has laid on four tries and registered two line breaks in three wins.
Parker played devil's advocate, reminding the panel of Slater's previous bold call to drop captain Daly Cherry-Evans after game one last year, a move that proved a masterstroke as Queensland went on to win the series.
"You can read any which way you want in terms of who’s playing well and who’s got form, who doesn’t have form," Parker said. "Ultimately at the end of the day Billy Slater and the two selectors go through a team of 20 who they think can win game one. That is it. Don’t look too far ahead, stick with who you think is going to be able to win game one. They’ll have their ideas and their reasonings in terms of how and why that is going to come to fruition. Reece Walsh at this point in time by the opinion of three people is not part of that side."
Riccio added: "It was a monstrous call, a courageous call, a brave call to sack Daly Cherry-Evans while captain of Queensland. I firmly believe this decision is equal to that call."
