Billy Slater gets Murray Taulagi boost before May 27 squad call
Murray Taulagi has been cleared to return from concussion in Round 11, giving Billy Slater a decision point before Queensland names its State of Origin squad for Game 1 on May 27. The Cowboys winger is expected back for the Magic Round clash against the Roosters on Saturday week, leaving him one NRL outing to press his case.
Taulagi back in Round 11
Taulagi, 27, had suffered his second head knock in three weeks a fortnight ago, but Cowboys staff and club doctors have now set his return for the Magic Round match. It gives Queensland a clearer read on a winger who has already played six times for the Maroons and still has a live chance to force his way into the first squad of the series.
That return comes with a narrow window. Slater will name his Queensland group for Game 1 in Sydney on May 27, so Taulagi has one match to show he is ready after the latest concussion setback.
Queensland wing race
The wing spots are not settled. Xavier Coates has not played at all this season because of an Achilles injury and has only just returned to full running exercises with the Storm, while Valentine Holmes remains the other incumbent Maroons winger after poor form for the Dragons this season.
Selwyn Cobbo has pushed back into the frame with strong form at the Dolphins, and Phillip Sami and Jojo Fifita are also among the leading contenders. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow adds another option, though he is more likely to start at centre alongside Robert Toia.
Origin selection pressure
Taulagi’s case is built on more than availability. He scored nine tries in his first eight games for the Cowboys before the latest concussion against the Sharks, and he has two tries in six Origin appearances for Queensland.
His 2024 Origin run also gives Slater a reference point. Taulagi was injured before the opening match of last year’s series and missed Games 2 and 3, so this return arrives after a season in which he has been available only in short stretches when Queensland were weighing its back-line options.
After Magic Round, Slater’s selection picture broadens again with Reece Walsh expected to regain the No.1 jersey after returning from a fractured cheekbone for the Broncos last week, while Kalyn Ponga’s return from injury will also add another option. For Taulagi, the immediate task is simpler: get through Saturday week and make the May 27 call harder to ignore.
