Billy Slater is recalling Josh Papalii from rep retirement for State of Origin, alongside Gehamat Shibasaki's debut.
Billy Slater admits he's been toying with the idea of trying to bring Josh Papalii out of rep retirement for a couple of years but a conversation over the weekend convinced the Maroons coach the time was right. Slater has made two massive calls for the State of Origin decider on Wednesday week, with Papalii recalled and journeyman Brisbane centre Gehamat Shibasaki set to make his Queensland debut after his superb form in the NRL with the Broncos.
Papalii hasn't featured at Origin level since announcing his retirement from rep footy prior to the 2023 Origin series, when he was tipped to be overlooked by Slater. Prior to that, he was a mainstay in the Maroons squad for almost a decade and played alongside Slater in many of his 23 games for Queensland since debuting in the 2013 series.
The 33-year-old has been playing some of the best footy of his career this year and been an integral part of Canberra's rise to the top of the ladder. And with calls growing louder for Papalii to come out of rep retirement, the Maroons coach says a chat with the Raiders veteran over the weekend was enough to convince him that the veteran still had a burning desire to represent his state.