As the Maroons were dealt a cruel blow, a Brisbane Broncos star thrust his hand up for a State of Origin recall against the New Zealand Warriors.
As Maroons star Kalyn Ponga was ruled out of the State of Origin series decider, Broncos marquee man Reece Walsh issued a compelling message to Queensland coach Billy Slater: he was ready to reclaim his throne.
If there was one moment which cemented his Origin credentials, it was in the shadows of halftime – screaming for the ball at the expense of a field goal attempt to fire a short pass for Gehamat Shibasaki to score the first of his two tries for the afternoon. Tellingly, he has looked a different player to the inconsistent figure he cut before his stint on the sidelines – showing a willingness to take the tough carries out of his own end while coming up with two one-on-one tackles to prevent Wayde Egan and Harris-Tavita from running away.
Fresh off signing a two-year contract extension, where he will now vie with Deine Mariner and the recruited Grant Anderson from 2026 for his place on the wing, Karapani produced two linebreaks and 147 metres to go with his try, to well and truly repay the faith Maguire put in him.There are few things less surprising than Payne Haas leading his pack from the front.
That is a reality they will not have next week against the Bulldogs when he and Pat Carrigan – who was illustrious with 155 metres and 33 tackles – enter the final Origin camp. However, in Xavier Willison, Brisbane have a man who can keep them afloat.AAP
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