Matty Johns questions Billy Slater's surprising exclusion of Corey Horsburgh from Queensland's State of Origin team.
Former NRL star Matty Johns has questioned Billy Slater's decision to leave out aggressive Raiders prop Corey Horsburgh from the Queensland side as NSW have been urged to help support Nathan Cleary this series. Slater made a number of surprise decisions for his Maroons side for State of Origin Game 1 at Suncorp with youngster Robert Toia selected to start at centre.
Another surprise was to leave out Horsburgh from his front row. Slater is set to start Patrick Carrigan and Moeaki Fotuaika as his two props with Lindsay Collins and Reuben Cotter available to play through the middle from the bench.
Slater might be hoping to play a quick game against a huge NSW forward pack with a fast-play the ball pivotal in tiring out the likes of Payne Haas. However, Johns and Denan Kemp questioned the absence of Horsburgh. "I was very surprised," Johns said on SEN Radio of the prop's snub.