Queensland is playing mind games with team selection on the eve of the State of Origin series decider.
Rookie coach Billy Slater revealed to media on Tuesday that Tom Dearden will wear the No.6 jumper in his Maroons debut, but wouldn’t say whether the 21-year-old will start the game or not.
Dearden was jettisoned into the team to replace superstar five-eighth Cameron Munster, who contracted COVID-19 in camp last week.
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And while the Cowboys playmaker will wear Munster’s jersey, he may yet start on the bench to allow veteran Origin utility Ben Hunt to start in the halves.
The alternative option is Dearden plays five-eighth, and Queensland otherwise sticks with the Hunt-Harry Grant one-two punch at hooker.
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“Tom Dearden will wear the No.6, we’ll just work out whether he starts the game or comes off the bench,” Slater said.
“We’re pretty clear. I know my team. It’s Queensland’s team.”
Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans was also asked who his halves partner will be, and said while he knew the answer, he would not reveal it publicly.
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The Maroons technically are not required to unveil their exact line-up until one hour before kick-off on Wednesday night.
The Blues are tipped to make a switch of their own before kick-off, with Junior Paulo rumoured to start in the front row and debutant prop Jacob Saifiti on the bench to start the decider.
The the official Blues Twitter account on Tuesday evening posted a “confirmed” line-up, with Saifiti at prop and Paulo on the bench.
https://twitter.com/NSWBlues/status/1546766457291575296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
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