KIERSTEN DUKE: Inside Billy Slater’s bold decision to drop Reece Walsh for Origin Game I

There are omissions in State of Origin that spark debate and then there are omissions that stop rugby league in its tracks.

Leaving Reece Walsh out of Queensland’s squad for Game I falls squarely into the second category.

For the first time since Walsh exploded onto the Origin stage in 2023 with his electric footwork and fearless attack, the Maroons will head into a series opener without one of the game’s most unpredictable weapons.

It feels hugely controversial and if Queensland lose the opener, it will be one of the first decisions everyone points to.

But this is why Billy Slater is coaching Queensland and the rest of us are sitting on couches arguing about it with our family, or by the coffee machine with colleagues at work.

Slater has never selected sides based purely on hype around a player. He values grit, passion and work ethic above all else. Being the face of the NRL and the biggest magnet for younger fans does not get you an automatic selection.

While it seems like an insult to Walsh, he remains one of the most gifted players in rugby league, but he has been far from his best this season as the Broncos struggle for consistency.

Slater’s reasoning for dropping him was simple. The Broncos superstar has reduced running metres, patchy defence and moments that have left even his biggest supporters frustrated. At his best, Walsh can tear a game apart in 30 seconds flat. At his worst, he can invite chaos into a contest that demands calmness.

We may never know what the real reason for Walsh being axed from the 2026 series-winning squad.

Origin football is unforgiving. One error. One loose carry. One rushed decision. That’s often the difference between glory and disaster.

Slater made it clear the decision was far from easy, admitting it’s “like dropping Elvis”.

Most pundits agreed Kalyn Ponga was the best fullback at the Maroons disposal, but thought Walsh should have still been selected in the squad.

Former Roosters five-eighth, and Channel Seven NRL expert Luke Keary, even went as far as speculating that there must be a deeper issue.

He told The Agenda Setters “no way is it form only”, hinting there was more going on than Slater was letting on.

We may never know what the real reason for Walsh being axed from the 2026 series-winning squad.

Queensland fans don’t have much to complain about with Ponga wearing the No.1. Slater is banking on experience and control over pure explosiveness. And to be fair, you’ve got to admit there’s logic to it.

Ponga has been outstanding this season. Calm under pressure, measured with the football and capable of producing moments of brilliance without overplaying his hand. In Origin, where every set feels like life or death, that stability matters.

According to reports surrounding the selection, Slater and the Queensland brain trust were concerned about balancing the spine.

With Sam Walker entering the arena for his Origin debut and Harry Grant already bringing creativity through the middle, Walsh’s unpredictability might prove a liability.

I suspect NRL head office would have liked to have seen Walsh selected given he is box office.

Kids wear bright pink boots because of him. Fans rise from their seats every time he touches the ball. He plays with the kind of raw energy that reminds people why they fell in love with rugby league in the first place.

And, most importantly, Queensland fans know what he can do on the big stage.

This is the same player whose fearless running changed the momentum of the Origin arena almost instantly when he debuted. The same player who almost single-handily won Brisbane last year’s title in a grand final performance hailed as one of the best of all-time.

Which is why writing him off would be foolish and Slater himself hinted this isn’t the end for Walsh, only a pause.

If Queensland lose the first game does Walsh return to the side angry and refocused? Does he tighten the parts of his game critics have questioned?

If he does, the Blues should be terrified because the scary part about Walsh is that he’s still nowhere near the finished product.

Queensland may have left him out for Game I, but nobody, especially Slater, should believe the Maroons have seen the last of him.