Maroons State of Origin squad set to include three debutants as Queensland counts the cost of injury
The 20-year-old centre joins Gold Coast second-rower Beau Fermor and Melbourne lock Trent Loiero as debutants in the Maroons side to play in the Origin series opener on May 28 at Lang Park.
After losing last year's series 2-1, coach Billy Slater has put his faith in new blood.
A pectoral injury to Dolphins forward Tom Gilbert and a calf issue for North Queensland winger Murray Taulagi opened the door to offer new candidates an opportunity.
On the cusp of the side being named, Brisbane outside back Selwyn Cobbo also suffered a possible wrist fracture in the 30-26 loss to St George Illawarra.
Toia overcame two ACL ruptures to finally make his NRL debut this year and in 10 matches, he showcased rare talents.
He has an unflustered temperament along with power, speed and skill. That was best highlighted in a 36-26 win over the Dolphins at Magic Round, where he scored two tries, had a try assist and created carnage.
"I would love to play Origin," former Queensland under-19 representative Toia said after round 11.
"I just remember watching GI [Inglis] and how dominant he was. It didn't matter who was in front of him, he was just able to create havoc."
Fermor, 25, has also suffered two ACL tears. The latest wiped him out of the 2023 season after he had been invited into the Maroons camp in 2022.
This year, he has found his groove as a superb edge forward who runs great lines and defends strongly.
Loiero is well-known for being a feisty forward who plays with physicality and work ethic, highlighted by his average of 117m and 32 tackles per game in 2025.
The Maroons have made other selection decisions forced partly by injury. Incumbent fullback Reece Walsh (knee) and utility Ben Hunt (hamstring) are both unavailable.
Newcastle captain Kalyn Ponga, who came off the bench in game three last year, returns to the starting custodian's role for the first time since the 2022 decider, when he was man of the match.
Maroons champion Cameron Munster is back in the number 6 jersey after missing last year's series with injury. That pushes Cowboys co-captain Tom Dearden from five-eighth to the number 14 jersey previously worn by Hunt with distinction.
Titans captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui also returns to the Maroons side at prop after missing last year with an ACL tear.
LIKELY QUEENSLAND SIDE: 1 Kalyn Ponga, 2 Xavier Coates, 3 Robert Toia, 4 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 5 Valentine Holmes, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Daly Cherry-Evans (c), 8 Moeaki Fotuaika, 9 Harry Grant, 10 Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, 11 Reuben Cotter, 12 Jeremiah Nanai, 13 Pat Carrigan, 14 Tom Dearden, 15 Lindsay Collins, 16 Beau Fermor, 17 Trent Loiero, 18 Kurt Mann, 19 Jesse Arthars, 20 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
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Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The NRL is set to review Origin eligibility rules. It could shake up the game
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The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
The NRL is set to review Origin eligibility rules. It could shake up the game
'They're the tier-one countries impacted. [Players from] tier-two nations like Samoa and Tonga can still play State of Origin and represent those nations. 'It's a polarising idea. When we've consulted on any possible Origin eligibility changes some people have loved it, others hated it. 'We want a strong international game and calendar, and we want Australia to be challenged. And we want to respect the players and the nations they want to play for, and the argument for change is one we'll consider. 'It wouldn't be open slather – it would be mostly New Zealand players, and any change would be considered to ensure they're not left behind.' Even if the NRL were to relax eligibility rules, players would still have to have lived in NSW or Queensland before their 13th birthdays to be able to play Origin. The likes of Kiwi stars Joe Tapine, James Fisher-Harris, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Moses Leota would remain ineligible for the interstate series, along with almost all English NRL imports. But as NZRL chief Greg Peters welcomed V'landys' comments and a potential boost for New Zealand's ability to compete with Australia, Samoa and Tonga for talent, he claimed as many as 11 players from this year's NSW and Queensland squads are eligible for the Kiwis. Ponga has made a high-profile move to switch his allegiance to New Zealand given his only Australian caps came during the short-lived Nines World Cup concept. The likes of Jarome Luai, Spencer Leniu, Moeaki Fotuaika and Josh Papalii have also been forced to choose between playing for the Kiwis or their state in the past. Like Weekes, playmaking prodigy Katoa was courted by the NZRL and former Kiwi coach Michael Maguire before opting to represent Tonga, which keeps him eligible for NSW under the current rules. Weekes, 23, was born in Sydney but is eligible to represent New Zealand due to his family heritage. Given his strong form in Canberra's rise to the top of the NRL ladder, his decision to pledge allegiance to the Kangaroos could see him emerge as an Ashes tour bolter. Alternatively, under the potential rule change, a player like Addin Fonua-Blake (one Test for New Zealand in 2017) would be able to represent the Blues, the Cronulla prop having grown up in Sydney and played for Mascot Jets as a junior. 'A guy like Kalyn Ponga is a good example,' Peters said. 'He's a proud Maori, proud New Zealander and a proud Queenslander. But at the moment he doesn't have the ability to play for New Zealand should he chose to. He's a really good example. 'The other one is Jarome Luai. Who knows, Jarome Luai might probably want to play for Samoa, and good on him for doing so. But he played Junior Kiwis and the point is that his pathway to the Kiwis was shut down the moment he was selected to play Origin. 'Samoa is going to have a team stacked full of Origin players, which is great for the game, but it's not available to us. We strongly support a review of these rules.' Along with the lure of playing Origin as the pinnacle of the game, $30,000 match payments for the interstate series are 10 times larger than what players earn per Test match. Loading The most recent collective bargaining agreement reduced Kangaroos match payments to $3000 per game to ensure parity across all Pacific nations, with New Zealand previously unable to compete with Australia on a financial front. 'There's a big monetary gain as well, so you can understand that choice of people wanting to play Origin, but New Zealand should be open to them,' Peters said. 'There are 11 players across both Origin squads who are eligible for New Zealand. There's no guarantee they would even choose to play for New Zealand, but they don't currently have the choice and it should be looked at. We want a strong international game.'


The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
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The great Benji Marshall was a trailblazer who attended league powerhouse Keebra Park High on the Gold Coast as a youth before moving into the Wests Tigers system. His move inspired a suite of players from New Zealand to follow suit and most of them were snapped up by NSW or Queensland-based clubs. The new academy at Logan will help reverse that trend and with the huge number of New Zealand-born migrants in southeast Queensland will give them great access to elite youth, not just from Pacific nations but also local talent. Warriors CEO Cameron George said the club would establish permanent staff in Logan to work closely with the community and find the talent that has proven to be abundant. "Logan is a nursery. It is a rugby league hot-bed," George said. "It is a strategic move, absolutely, but we have been offered opportunities on the eastern seaboard before but never taken them up. "The most important thing for us is to build better families and generations to come and when we came here and saw the Kiwi population that does live here there are plenty of fans here. The question I asked myself was: Why not? "We have 12 academies in New Zealand doing really well but that shouldn't preclude us from coming to Australia where we have a great connection with a huge fan base that grows all the time. "If we can make kids become the best version of themselves as possible we will be proud. If we can get two or three footballers out of here, boys or girls, we will be happy and extremely proud." George said the elite academy for boys and girls in Logan would provide a direct pathway to the Warriors NRL and NRLW teams. The Broncos, Gold Coast and most recently Dolphins have been in the best position to source juniors from their near neighbour Logan but now the Warriors are set to be a force. The partnership with Logan City Council is one that Mayor Jon Raven said should fit hand in glove. "Logan is the leading rugby league nursery in the nation and has one of the largest populations of people of New Zealand and Pacific Island descent outside of Auckland," he said. "The Warriors are known for their strong community connections and supporting development opportunities for young people, which are values we love here in Logan." Some of the greatest rugby league players to lace a boot have come out of Logan and now the Warriors are in prime position to snare the next crop. The fourth-placed Warriors will establish a training academy and community program in the city in Brisbane's south to offer an elite training and identification program and assist young people connect with sport and find career paths outside of footy. 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Warriors CEO Cameron George said the club would establish permanent staff in Logan to work closely with the community and find the talent that has proven to be abundant. "Logan is a nursery. It is a rugby league hot-bed," George said. "It is a strategic move, absolutely, but we have been offered opportunities on the eastern seaboard before but never taken them up. "The most important thing for us is to build better families and generations to come and when we came here and saw the Kiwi population that does live here there are plenty of fans here. The question I asked myself was: Why not? "We have 12 academies in New Zealand doing really well but that shouldn't preclude us from coming to Australia where we have a great connection with a huge fan base that grows all the time. "If we can make kids become the best version of themselves as possible we will be proud. If we can get two or three footballers out of here, boys or girls, we will be happy and extremely proud." George said the elite academy for boys and girls in Logan would provide a direct pathway to the Warriors NRL and NRLW teams. The Broncos, Gold Coast and most recently Dolphins have been in the best position to source juniors from their near neighbour Logan but now the Warriors are set to be a force. The partnership with Logan City Council is one that Mayor Jon Raven said should fit hand in glove. "Logan is the leading rugby league nursery in the nation and has one of the largest populations of people of New Zealand and Pacific Island descent outside of Auckland," he said. "The Warriors are known for their strong community connections and supporting development opportunities for young people, which are values we love here in Logan."