SPUDD CARROLL: Billy Slater’s non-selection of David Fifita for Origin 3 plays into the NSW Blues hands

I was listening to the radio on my drive to work when I heard something that made me hit the accelerator with excitement.

Billy Slater had again overlooked David Fifita for his Queensland team.

A State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium, the Maroons coming off a pounding, and the Titans wrecking ball will be sitting at home watching on telly.

It was the perfect start to my working week.

I thought Fifita was a certain selection after what I saw from the Queensland forwards in Origin II.

These games are won up front and their big men were bashed and bullied by the Blues all across the MCG.

Angus Crichton, Payne Haas and Liam Martin had a field day. It was men versus boys, especially in that first half when NSW led 34-nil.

Yet the only change Slater makes to his pack for next Wednesday night is to drop Jayden Su’a and replace him in the starting side with the dependable but hardly fearsome Kurt Capewell.

These Queensland forwards wouldn’t scare kids in a creche.

Without Fifita there’s just no fear factor.

They’ve got plenty of workers such as Lindsay Collins, Rueben Cotter and Pat Carrigan - but no X-factor.

I thought Fifita would be brought in to play a role like Spencer Leniu does for NSW, a power forward who skittles defenders.

I don’t know if there’s some sort of problem between Slater and Fifita that we don’t know about. In fact, I couldn’t give a rat’s arse.

All I know is Slater said after he brushed him from Game 1, that there’s some things Fifita needed to work on.

Well, since then he’s been great for the Titans, so I’m baffled why he’s missed the cut again.

If I’m one of the Blues forwards, I know who I’d rather be facing between Fifita and Capewell.

Kalyn Ponga’s recall after just one game for the Knights is desperate but understandable.

He’s a player who will worry NSW when he gets thrown into the action from the bench.

The Blues are coming off a huge win, so everyone assumed there would be no changes.

But Michael Maguire has brought in Warriors forward Mitch Barnett to replace Haumole Olakau’atu on the bench.

Barnett he’s been part of the extended squad for a few years, so he deserves a crack.

His numbers on the weekend against the Bulldogs were incredible – 23 hit ups for more than 200m and you can throw in 50 or so tackles as well.

Barnett is tough with a big engine, he’s aggressive … in my eyes, he’s built for State of Origin.

It’s a shame Latrell Mitchell is injured, but Bradman Best is a very handy replacement. He’s been great for the Knights and scored two tries on debut when the Blues won Origin III last year.

I’m so confident the Blues will win this game and end their decider hoodoo at Suncorp.

We’ve only won a decider there twice, in 1994 and 2005.

But hey – it’s just another field with grass, lines and two sets of goalposts. We pulled their pants down in Melbourne, so why can’t the Blues do it again?

I’m tipping the Blues by at least 13 points.

AND ANOTHER THING…

Jason Ryles has been named the new coach of Parramatta.

My advice to Ryles would be to get in there and blow the place up.

They need a big shake-up.

Parramatta’s players have been too comfortable for too long. A few of them have been cruising.

To plummet from grand finalists in 2022 to second-last on the ladder this season, must be hard to take for long-suffering Eels fans.

Ryles is the right choice because he’s served a long apprenticeship under two of the game’s master coaches in the Roosters’ Trent Robinson and Melbourne’s Craig Bellamy.

He comes from a successful system at both those clubs and would have learned plenty.

I see this as being like what has happened at Parra’s old rivals Canterbury.

The Dogs have been woeful for years, but Cameron Ciraldo came in and ripped the place up and now they’re knocking on the door of the top four.

Like Ryles, Ciraldo was also a long-time assistant coach and came from a winning culture at Penrith.

The big thing he’s changed at the Dogs is their attitude to defence and now they’re tackling like their old premiership-winning teams from the 1980s.

That’s the first thing Ryles will need to address at Parramatta.

Defence is all about attitude and the Eels are the worst in the competition by a fair margin.

Some of their efforts last week against Souths were as soft as the vanilla ice cream I devoured on the weekend.

They need to harden up.