Kalyn Ponga Set for No.7 Bombshell in Origin Teams

Billy Slater will name his Queensland origin teams at 9am on Monday, and Kalyn Ponga is set to land in the No.7 for Game 1 of the State of Origin series. Tom Dearden’s serious ankle injury last week opened the spot, and the Maroons coach has moved toward a reshaped spine for the opener.

The call would push Queensland into a new halfback setup after Dearden was ruled out of contention for the Origin opener. Daly Cherry-Evans had seemingly been opened up as a recall option, while Sam Walker and Jake Clifford were also in the mix.

Slater’s 9am call

Slater will reveal the team on Monday morning, with the announcement due at 9am. That timing matters because Queensland’s Game 1 side will be set in one move, not dripped out across the day.

Ponga at halfback is the headline switch. He is set to be named in the No.7, which turns one of Queensland’s best-known attacking players into the central selection at a position opened by Dearden’s injury.

Dearden’s ankle opens Queensland

Dearden suffered a serious ankle injury last week, and that removed him from the Origin opener picture before Queensland could settle its halves. His absence left Slater with a choice between recall experience and other halfback options, with Cherry-Evans, Walker and Clifford all mentioned as alternatives.

The halfback decision is not the only one Slater has made. He has also made a huge call on the fullback position, though the selection itself was not specified in the facts provided.

Ponga and the No.7

Ponga is the player set to benefit most from the reshuffle, but the move also narrows Queensland’s room for error at the top of the side. If he is named at halfback as expected, the Maroons will enter Game 1 with a very different look from the side that would have been built around Dearden.

For Queensland, Monday morning is now a single selection deadline: one team, one No.7 call, and one major adjustment before Origin’s first game gets underway.