Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga loom in Slater’s Game 1 call

reece walsh sits in the middle of Queensland’s biggest Origin selection call, with Billy Slater set to name Kalyn Ponga at No.7 for Game 1. The Maroons coach will reveal his team at 9am on Monday after Tom Dearden’s serious ankle injury removed one halfback option from contention.

Slater’s 9am call

Slater will announce his Queensland State of Origin team for Game 1 on Monday morning, and the halfback decision is now the headline issue. Ponga is set to wear No.7, a move that points to a major shift in how Queensland will line up for the opener.

Dearden’s injury last week changed the picture quickly. He is out of contention for the Origin opener, leaving Queensland to sort through the remaining halfback options while the coach finalizes a team that already includes a huge decision on the fullback position.

Cherry-Evans and the cover options

Daly Cherry-Evans remains a possible recall option, with Sam Walker and Jake Clifford also in the frame. That list gives Queensland several ways to cover the vacancy, but the direction Slater appears to have taken is the clearest sign yet that Ponga is moving into the key role.

The selection call is not just about one jersey. It also shifts the shape of the team around the spine, because the No.7 choice sits alongside Slater’s decision at fullback and will define how the Maroons open Game 1.

Queensland’s Origin spine

The team will be named at 9am on Monday, ending the wait for the final Queensland lineup. For fans tracking the Maroons’ attack, the important move is the same one that has driven the discussion all along: Ponga at halfback, with Dearden unavailable and Slater ready to lock in the rest of the side.