Queensland eyeing State of Origin dynasty under Slater

Nobody has dared utter the word ‘dynasty’, but there’s a feeling it will be on everyone’s lips should Queensland complete a 3-0 rout of NSW when the State of Origin series wraps up at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night.

With back-to-back series wins already in the bank under former champion fullback Billy Slater, it will be hard not to talk about another era of domination by the Maroons in the years ahead.

Queensland’s best Origin game-winning streak was eight in a row between 1987 and 1989.

After winning the last two Origin games of the 1988 series, they completed 3-0 sweeps in ’88 and ’89.

But their most dominant period in Origin was a golden era between 2006 and 2013.

During that period they won 17 of the 24 Origin games and a record eight straight, which included Origin’s last clean sweep in 2010.

Queensland go into Wednesday night’s dead rubber as $1.67 favourites with rugby league bookmakers, the Blues drifting out to $2.25 following a raft of desperate selection changes.

They include blooding Newcastle Knights centre Bradman Best and recalling veteran playmaker Cody Walker to create some tries.

Slater was quick to put to rest any remote possibility of complacency being a hidden enemy on Wednesday night.

“At the end of the day we see playing for Queensland as important,” he said before the team headed south to Sydney.

“We’ve still got things we want to achieve in this game, but at the end of the day it’s about this team building a style of footy and I think they’ve done a wonderful job of that so far.

“I haven’t seen any sign of comfort or complacency over the past 10 days.

“We won’t be disrespecting any of the new faces in their team, that’s for sure.”

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Queensland have the Origin formula down pat.

They have 12 players in their game three squad who were involved in the wins in Adelaide and Brisbane.

NSW, however, have only retained seven, although they have had a few more injuries to contend with than the Maroons.

The Blues picked a side to bash Queensland in the first Origin game in Adelaide with Tevita Pangai Junior and Hudson Young in the pack, after they were clearly dominated up front in the series decider in 2022 at Suncorp Stadium.

But they came up short.

In the return game, they just couldn’t cope with Queensland’s energy and line speed.

If Brad Fittler’s new-look NSW side can’t stop Slater’s Maroons from claiming Origin’s first clean sweep since 2010, the dogs will be barking and the talk will turn to the start of another dynasty.

NSW’s cause has not been helped by injuries to Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic.

Trbojevic was injured in the opening minutes of game two at Suncorp Stadium, while Mitchell’s hamstring injury forced him out of both Origin games.

But it’s been up front where the Blues have struggled to gain the ascendancy and where they will need to muscle on to give their new-look backs, including Best and the creative Walker, the space and time to go to work.

Slater said Queensland would need to be on high alert for what Walker, Best, and debutant back-rower Keaon Koloamatangi would bring.

“Defensively we need to be very good,” he said when asked about the changes to the Blues side.

Slater, meanwhile, had not heard any talk from Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans, or from any of his Queensland teammates, about whether he would play Origin again next season.

A clean sweep would be a perfect way for the Manly skipper to bow out of Origin football, but the way he is playing – remember, he ran down NSW centre Stephen Crichton in this series – he would appear to have a few more years left, even at the age of 34.

“Daly is really enjoying his football and he hasn’t indicated anything like that to me,” said Slater.

“Cherry-Evans has a calmness about him that all good leaders have. I played alongside Cameron Smith for a long time and he was a lot calmer than me out on the field.

“To have that calm head out on the field is invaluable to blokes like Corey Horsburgh, who is playing his first game, and also for AJ Brimson, who is coming back into the team.

“To have Daly Cherry-Evans lead the players out and have his inspirational and calm words before and during the game will help.”

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