'Walsh is on': Blues on red alert for Reece's roving role

Maroons coach Billy Slater has put the Blues defence on high alert after warning that the electric Reece Walsh could be deployed almost anywhere in Origin II at the MCG.

Slater knows just how special Walsh can be at his best. He was the coach responsible for selecting him for his first Origin series in 2023 and he was repaid in spades, with the then-20-year-old dominating NSW in Game I and II.

Whilst he has been overlooked for a starting role so far this year, Walsh could have an influence on Wednesday night's outcome from the bench as Queensland seek to send the series to a decider at Suncorp Stadium.

“Reece is a great player. He's in a unique position in our footy team, as is Murray Taulagi. These two players are starters in their normal teams, and it is a unique situation," Slater said.

“There’s a couple of ways that those two players would be used. Injuries is the first one, backup for the guys that start the game, but then there are there are some structures that we can play with and manipulate our footy team to create something with those two guys. We have had some discussions around that.”

Those structures could see Walsh playing in several different positions, not just fullback, where Kalyn Ponga has been preferred once again.

“I've got no question that he's going to do a great job in whatever position that we play him - outside backs, in the halves, or back at fullback,” Slater continued.

“He's a wonderful player, and we all know what he's capable of. We all saw that in 2023 - he was probably the most influential player in that series.

"What a luxury for us to have a guy like Kalyn Ponga that can wear the No.1 jersey, and have a guy like Reece Walsh sitting there waiting for an opportunity.”

The threat of Walsh coming on in a roving role has rekindled memories of the panicked reaction in the NSW camp when Chris Walker was thrust into action in the 2002 Origin decider, with Blues trainer Nathan Brown shouting to players, "Walker's on, Walker's on".

Queensland captain Cameron Munster suggested there might be room to “inject” Walsh into the game in certain scenarios.

“You can inject them in certain plays or certain ways of getting into the game, but who knows. I'm sure Bill and the coaching staff have got a plan. I'll leave it at that," he said.

The Blues have their own positional shuffles, with coach Laurie Daley confirming on Tuesday that Brian To’o will switch from right to left wing to accommodate the inclusion of dual international Mark Nawaqanitawase. 

That means that the Blues left edge will likely be completely different to Game I, with Mitchell Moses returning from injury at five-eighth, Dylan Lucas making his debut in the second-row, Tolutau Koula shifting into centre and To’o on the wing.

Daley suggested that the man Moses is replacing, Ethan Strange, may find a way off the bench into the second row at some stage of the game.

“He'll come on and probably play in the back row," Daley said. "He's a strong runner, he's a guy that is dangerous when he runs the footy, and that's what you want him to do.

'He'll get an opportunity at some point to just carry the football, play to his strengths. If he does that, I’ll be happy.”

If Strange does play, either one of Daley's bench forwards - Cameron Murray, Victor Radley or Addin Fonua-Blake - or NSW interchange hooker Api Koroisau will miss out on any game time unless the 18th man is activated.

The Blues were able to use Matt Burton as 18th man in Origin I after Koula was ruled out with a Category 1 concussion following the 57th minute incident in which Ponga was sent off.

Despite losing an outside back, Slater chose to use forward Trent Loiero as his fourth interchange player instead of centre Gehamat Shibasaki but it seems more likely that Walsh will see some action in Origin II.