Warriors enforcer Mitch Barnett is set to make his Origin debut and his inclusion is a huge reward for his dedication to the NSW jersey.
Billy Slater’s bench selections have come under fire, playing two forwards alongside hooker Harry Grant and fullback Kalyn Ponga who will be tasked with providing spark off the pine.
Meanwhile, Bradman Best has earnt a timely recall to the Blues outfit while there’s one player Michael Maguire could miss in the series decider.
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Read below for the big talking points out of the Game III Origin team selections!
BARNETT’S COMMITMENT TO THE JERSEY PAYS OFF
There’s been several feel-good stories during this year’s Origin series – Dylan Edwards’ long-awaited debut, Angus Crichton’s return to representative football and Mitchell Moses’ statement performance at half back are just a few.
And now the rise of Warriors workhorse Mitch Barnett will enter that conversation.
Barnett was swarmed by his teammates in the sheds when coach Andrew Webster announced he was a “f***ing Origin player” following selection in the extended Blues squad for game one.
He hopped on a flight to Australia to go into camp only to head back to New Zealand almost straight away for the birth of his child. After the safe arrival of Zane Barnett, dad was straight on a plane to return to camp to fulfil his obligations as a reserve player.
The 30-year-old was promoted to 18th man for game two and now – in the only unforced change made by Michael Maguire – will make his Origin debut off the bench.
“The commitment he has shown of what the jersey means to him, chatting to Mitch it is pretty exciting to be able to debut someone like that,” Maguire said on Monday.
But Barnett’s selection goes so much deeper than just a reward for his commitment.
As Maguire said, he “can probably cover a bit more in the middle for us” than Haumole Olakau’atu.
Barrnett has started 77 NRL games in the second row, 51 at lock and 21 at prop as opposed to Olakau’atu, who has played 77 of his 86 games in the second row and the rest off the bench.
He’s also coming off an outstanding game against the Bulldogs in which he played 83 minutes of the 89-minute Golden Point thriller and finished with 24 runs for 208 metres, a try assist, a linebreak assist, four tackle busts and five offloads. He also made a team-high of 51 tackles with three misses.
That’s just the sort of form Barnett has been in this season though – he’s averaging 145 metres and 29 tackles a game.
He’s an effort-based player, which aligns with exactly what Maguire likes. While he’s unlikely to break a game open or bring some x-factor off the bench like Olakau’atu potentially could, Maguire knows what he will get in the no-frills Barnett.
Webster knows better than anyone how Barnett will fare in Origin.
“That is his arena, it’s tough, it’s hard. There’s got to be a lot of detail,” he said after the game one selection.
Origin III will cap off an enormous couple of months for Barnett which has included the birth of his second son, a contract extension with the Warriors and his first taste of representative footy.
It’s come exactly the way he wanted it as well with Barnett telling foxsports.com.au ahead of 18th man duties for game two that if he debuts it needs to be upon merit.
“It’d be nice to debut but I’d like to earn my way instead of going through a midgame injury… Hopefully game three (I can make my debut), but I’m going to do my best to prep the boys and put my best foot forward.”
Madge names Blues team for Game 3 | 07:11
CAN PONGA PROVIDE X-FACTOR?
He’s only played one NRL game since returning from a Lisfranc injury, but Billy Slater knows the impact a player of Kalyn Ponga’s ability can have.
The Knights superstar has been named on the bench, playing his first Origin game since his barnstorming performance in the 2022 series decider.
He ran for 247 metres, scored a try and broke 15 tackles in that contest, but will play a vastly different role, having worn the No.1 jersey in six of his seven Origin games.
However, he’s no stranger to plying his trade off the bench and made his debut off the pine in 2018 before a hamstring injury ruled him out of the series.
In that game he was injected in the middle of the park and played 52 minutes, running for 89 metres and breaking two tackles and the defensive line once.
He impressed in that contest, and interestingly it was Billy Slater who was wearing the No.1 on that day when Queensland went down 18-14.
Slater said on Monday when speaking to reporters that he was impressed by Ponga’s return to the field against the Raiders on Sunday.
“It was great to see him back on the field yesterday and he really hasn’t missed a beat. He’s done a lot of work in training to get to that point,” Slater said.
“We feel that’s the best thing for the footy team to have him back in the side.”
So can Ponga be Queensland’s X-factor and plug holes when called upon?
Just like Selwyn Cobbo did in the series opener, Ponga will become a perfect option to slot into the backline should a player unfortunately go down injured.
However, he will most likely be used as an injection of pace and speed in the middle of the park.
Ponga’s ability to break a defensive line is second to none, and against tiring middle forwards the gun fullback has the potential to cause chaos.
As he’s shown in 2018, he also holds his own on the defensive side but has since had issues with concussions, which saw him sit out of the 2023 series.
Regardless, a player of Ponga’s quality needs to be in the team and his selection marks a triumphant return for the 2023 Dally M Medallist.
Bradman Best sent for hamstring scans | 01:03
QUEENSLAND’S BENCH GAMBLE
Queensland’s bench selections have been a consistent talking point throughout the 2024 Origin series, with Billy Slater’s decision to pick Selwyn Cobbo in the season opener being heavily questioned.
That move turned out to be a masterstroke, but the Broncos gun was ultimately left out for Game II in favour of a pair of backrowers in Felise Kaufusi and Kurt Capewell.
Then in the MCG clash, Queensland were bullied in the middle of the park and couldn’t match it with the rampaging Blues.
“You’re down an enforcer and you know it. There’s no menace or bully in that pack,” The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio said on NRL360.
“No (Tom) Flegler. He would have been the man. Who’s going to stand up this time?”
And while many believed Slater was set to call upon a tougher bench with a heavier focus on the middle of the park, the Queensland coach steered in the opposite direction.
Instead he picked both Harry Grant and Kalyn Ponga alongside a backrower in Felise Kaufusi and front rower Mo Fotuiaka.
It shapes as a strange move for a team who finished the game battered and bruised.
Kaufusi can play in the middle but is no match for a player like Josh Papalii when it comes to having a presence and making metres in the middle of the park.
Ben Hunt, while Grant is on the field, has shown he is capable of playing as workhorse and should provide some respite.
However, the trio of Reuben Cotter, Lindsay Collins and Pat Carrigan will likely have to play big minutes and there’s an argument once man could have solved their issues.
David Fifita is one of the hardest ballrunners and is defensively capable to feature in the middle of the park.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, he explained his decision to leave out the Titans enforcer, saying: “Dave was a serious consideration but we feel that the 17 players that have been chosen are the 17 players that have earned the opportunity to be here.
“All Queenslanders are considered and Dave is a name that has been in the conversation for all games. He started the season a bit behind the eight-ball and he’s still working back to the standard that he created for himself last year. I’m sure he’d be the first to admit that.
However, veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield was left stunned by his omission, pointing to the impact Fifita could have had off the bench.
“I thought he needed to add another explosive edge to his football side,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“While Fifita doesn’t have the work rate of a Kurt Capewell, while he’s maybe not as strong, reliable, hardworking a player, he is able to add so much more to a football team than Capewell can, particularly in a desperation game like this when the series is on the line.”
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HE’S THE BEST AROUND
Bradman Best is back, and NSW fans have a reason to be excited after his first showing in the Origin arena.
The 22-year-old made his NSW debut in Game III of the 2023 series and played a starring role, scoring a double in what was a career-defining performance.
With Latrell Mitchell sidelined due to a Lisfranc injury, Best has been called upon by Michael Maguire, who explained why the Knights gun was the next in line.
“He’s been there before, he was probably one of the best players in the last game last year and he’s shown he can definitely play at that level,” Maguire said.
“But also too, just the way he plays. I had a lot of thoughts about him before the series… he was out injured but it’s nice to see him out there running around well.
“Obviously Tommy (Trbojevic) came back and we have various other players who can play in that position.
“But Bradman’s form over the last month has really shown what he’s capable of doing but it was an easy pick for me.”
Speaking of that form, Best tallied the third highest running metres tally since Fox Sports Lab began recording statistics in Round 17, racking up 342 running metres.
Best was the obvious option for Maguire, plugging a gaping hole left by Mitchell’s absence.
The Rabbitohs superstar is one of rugby league’s most destructive players and makes dents in opposition defensive lines.
However, Best has the potential to have a similar impact and has shown how hungry he is to succeed in the representative arena in the past.
For Sea Eagles gun Tom Trbojevic, he made a successful return to the field in Round 18, switching to the centres.
He was solid, but didn’t set the world on fire and still could take some time to find his groove in his new position.
Trbojevic has also been battling a hamstring injury, which are traditionally one of the hardest to back to 100 per cent and also have a high rate of reinjury.
Therefore, it’d have been a big risk for the NSW coach to call on Trbojevic, even though he is one of the NRL’s best players.
Slater responds to Maroons ‘media snub’ | 01:59
THE ‘WEAPON’ NSW COULD MISS
After filling the role of 18th man in game one and playing some of his best footy to date, many would consider Matt Burton unlucky to miss out on playing Origin this year.
As former New South Wales coach Laurie Daley said on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast, Burton is “arguably now in the best form of his career” and “wouldn’t let anyone down” in Origin.
But he was overlooked again my Michael Maguire, who replaced the injured Latrell Mitchell with Bradman Best at centre and stuck with Connor Watson as bench utility – which were the two roles Burton was most likely to be in the mix for.
The Bulldogs star has, however, been rushed into camp following the revelation that Best is battling some hamstring tightness.
Veteran News Corp journalist Phil Rothfield questioned the decision to leave Burton out and whether NSW will regret not having his signature bombs.
“The only guy I probably would have jammed in somewhere – probably not in the centres, but on the bench – is Matt Burton,” he told Big Sports Breakfast.
“That kick of his is the most dangerous play in the NRL and particularly now that he’s picking the right moments for it.
“I probably would have put him on the bench for Connor Watson in the fact that you could play him at lock, you can play him in the halves, you can play him in the centres… I don’t know what more he’s got to do to get into the side.
“I understand we won in Melbourne and you don’t want to make too many changes, but I think that guy is an absolute weapon with that kick.”
Burton’s form has the Bulldogs sitting fifth on the ladder after 18 rounds and eyeing the club’s first finals appearance since 2016.
The 24-year-old has kicked field goals to seal one-point wins in back-to-back games. He is the Bulldogs’ leading tryscorer and also leads in linebreak assists, while sitting second in the competition for 40/20s this season.