Matty Johns believes convincing Josh Papalii to return for Game 3 would be a masterstroke for Slater.
Matty Johns says it would be a 'masterstroke' from Maroons coach Billy Slater if he can convince Raiders veteran Josh Papalii to come out of rep retirement and play in the State of Origin decider. Queensland kept the series alive with a gutsy two-point win in Game 2 but will be up against it in Sydney on Wednesday week as they try to reclaim the Origin shield on enemy soil.
And while Slater might be wary about making changes for Game 3, there has been a push for him to try and bring Papalii back into the Queensland side. Papalii hasn't featured at Origin level since announcing his retirement from rep footy prior to the 2023 Origin series but he was a mainstay in the Queensland squad for almost a decade prior and played alongside Slater in many of his 25 games for the Maroons since debuting in the 2013 series.
The 33-year-old prop has been in superb form this year, averaging nine hit-ups and around 100 metres per game, and his leadership and defence have been an integral part of Canberra's rise to second on the ladder. He scored a memorable double in his club record 319th game for Canberra, and coach Ricky Stuart said he rightfully cemented his place amongst the legends of the club.