Maroons coach Billy Slater has responded frostily to suggestions his Queensland side are “under siege” ahead of the State of Origin series decider next Wednesday.
Joining Monday night’s NRL 360, Slater was asked by veteran journalist Phil Rothfield about how he deals with the attention and scrutiny placed on his Maroons side ahead of Game III of the 2024 series.
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“Do you personally feel pressure that the State’s under siege now?” The Daily Telegraph journalist asked.
“(There’s) so much spotlight on this game, your tactics (and) your selections.
“How do you cope with that?”
Slater responded: “This is State of Origin. It’s a decider. It’s one-all. It’s at Suncorp Stadium. There’s a spotlight on it.
“I don’t know about the state being under siege. I think that’s a bit far,” he added.
“Well it was a big scoreline, Billy, in Melbourne,” Rothfield interjected.
“Yeah. I’m fully aware of that,” Slater replied flatly, donning a wry smile.
Slater responds to criticism from NSW | 02:03
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After winning Game I by 28 points, the Maroons were blown off the park by Michael Maguire’s Blues in the Series second game at the MCG, notably in the first half when New South Wales scored 34 unanswered points.
Slater admitted he’s “fully aware that we need to improve parts of our game.
“Pressure’s a privilege,” he added.
“If you’re in your comfort zone you’re probably not trying hard enough.”
Later in his interview Slater was asked about cancelling his side’s media commitments on the first day of Origin camp, which sways from tradition.
The Maroons coach explained a few factors played into that decision, including the late arrival of his five Cowboys stars to camp.
“Some stories can be manufactured and the narrative can be created from an opinion. At the end of the day you focus on what you can control.”