DANE ELDRIDGE: Queensland coach Billy Slater throws out the Maroon playbook ahead of State of Origin decider

In an Origin series full of twists, none have captured the imagination quite like Billy Slater slowly going crackers in real time.

After establishing himself as a clear-eyed pragmatist unaffected by Origin’s psychological hall of mirrors, 2025 has been the year when the interstate rivalry finally sent him off the cliff.

Whether sacking his skipper, picking bolters from fields afar or even just waging war with a former player on brekky radio by referencing his former coach’s suicide, the Maroons coach has unleashed a blitz of executive orders across the series so wild it’d make Donald Trump wince.

And even after squibbing a win in Perth to force an unlikely decider, he continues to madly buck off convention like Brent Tate agitating for a quick play-the-ball.

Outplayed for the last 40 minutes and outscored five tries to four at Optus Stadium, the Maroons barely clung on against a fast-finishing Blues in their 26-24 triumph.

While admittedly gritty, Slater’s side was also undoubtedly aided by NSW’s sloppy hands and a jaw-dropping performance from the man of the match, referee Ashley Klein.

Such a ropey escape would usually see a coach revert to caution as a sign of gratitude to the footy gods, but not Billy.

Instead of proverbially tucking it up the jersey, he’s sensationally recalled a retiree for a decider, ignored the game’s hottest attacking force and selected another left-field rookie who’ll need a name tag.

Put simply, Slater has scoffed at Queensland’s longstanding policy of no silly buggers to instead bet the house on thought bubbles - and it means only two possible outcomes on Wednesday night:

Either he’s chaired off the Accor Stadium pitch as a miracle worker like Fatty Vautin, or hauled away to the mental asylum aka the Channel Nine commentary team.

Punting on a train-and-trialler in Gehamat Shibasaki is either 5D chess or bonkers, as is recalling Josh Papali’i over Corey Horsburgh - especially after Billy personally forced out the 300-game Raider in 2023.

However, it’s the Reece Walsh decision that will determine if Slater’s coaching tenure is remembered as grotesque or goat-esque.

With all due respect to Kalyn Ponga, his injury was an act of God for Queensland akin to a piece of toast bearing the image of Dick ‘Tosser’ Turner.

With the Knights incumbent underwhelming all series, his forced omission would facilitate a bloodless recall of the Bronco talisman after he’d made an irresistible case in recent weeks sensationally unclogging Brisbane’s constipated attack like a triple shot espresso - even on one leg.

And while Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is no mug himself, Slater’s bizarre Clayton’s decision to name Walsh as 18th man is one that’s been privately applauded by the Blues until their hands are red raw.

From the outside, you’d swear Slater is desperately attempting to engineer his own Maroons legacy moment, except the adversity facing Queensland is him.

We all know the underdog tag is Queensland lifeblood akin to oxygen and XXXX, but making dangerous punts out of choice and not necessity - all while citing the ‘we’re Queenslanders’ Act ad nauseam - is reverse engineering the Queensland spirit by putting the narrative before the action.

Anyone who recalls Vautin’s 1995 Nevilles, Wayne Bennett’s 2001 rookies or even the “Worst Maroons team of all time” in the COVID series of 2020 will know the Queensland spirit wasn’t acknowledged until the credits, not the previews.

And it’s not the same serving serve humble pie if you’ve cooked the whole thing beforehand yourself.

Nevertheless, Slater isn’t the only man who finds his legacy dangerously tiptoeing on the touchline of history.

Nathan Cleary has four premierships, two Clive Churchill Medals and featured in two series wins for the Blues, yet scathing sections of the rugby league punditocracy still claim he has something to prove.

But with zero wins in deciders, the champion Panthers halfback needs this win for his Joey Johns moment as much as Slater needs it for his Fatty equivalent.

And while the scrutiny has remained firmly on the Maroons boss and his aura farming, Cleary will be marshalling a Blues side with its own battler complex after a preparation disrupted by injury.

With Jarome Luai, Brian To’o, Payne Haas, Hudson Young and Cleary himself all spending time under ice this week, it means NSW has its own Maroons-style medical crisis, albeit not contrived.

And after feeling galaxies ahead of Queensland all series, Laurie Daley’s men will kick themselves if they blow this.

Although considering their woeful goal kicking this series, this should only result in 30 percent copping a boot.