STATE OF ORIGIN: Billy Slater offers bizarre response to questions over Maroons team make-up for Game III with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in doubt

Seemingly seething from the 38-18 hammering by NSW, Maroons coach Billy Slater offered some odd responses to questions on how Queensland can turn their fortunes around for State of Origin Game III.

When asked if he would make changes to the team Slater replied: “I haven’t even thought of that. We’re still Queenslanders.”

After being pressed on what he meant the geography lesson continued.

“Well, we’re from Queensland. I said I haven’t thought of that and we’re still Queenslanders, so that’s it ... I honestly haven’t thought about it.”

The tense exchange came as the Maroons counted the cost of suffering the most points scored against them in one half of Origin, namely the shoulder injury to centre Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

Tabuai-Fidow will go for scans on an injured shoulder and is in doubt for the State of Origin decider in Brisbane.

The 22-year-old left the field with an AC joint injury in the 24th minute of the 20-point loss at the MCG on Wednesday night.

He received pain-killing injections in his right shoulder and returned after the halftime break and scored his ninth Origin try in six games.

Tabuai-Fidow, who plays fullback for the Dolphins, returned to Brisbane on Thursday and is set to miss Saturday’s away clash with St George Illawarra.

The Dolphins have the bye the following week, with coach Billy Slater to name his side for the July 17 decider at the completion of round 19.

The man known as “Hammer” is set to not play again until the Origin decider.

AAP was told Tabuai-Fidow was sore on Thursday morning and would be for several weeks

After the MCG loss Slater said it was too early to tell if the shoulder injury would keep Tabuai-Fidow out of game three.

“I wouldn’t have a clue,” he said.

“I think he has picked up an AC (joint) injury. It was a tough effort for him to get back out there. He obviously wasn’t 100 per cent, but he knew the team needed him.”

The Maroons do have the option of recalling Brisbane centre Selwyn Cobbo, who did such a strong job off the bench in game one.

The Maroons trailed by an all-time Origin record 34-0 at halftime, before rallying after the break.

“I think the whole dressing room in there is pretty disappointed. It was a tough old first half,” Slater said.

“It felt like we couldn’t stop the momentum of the game. Part of that is on us.

“We will look at our game and work out what we need to adjust and what we need to go after. One thing I do know is that there is another game in three weeks.

“I thought our start was OK. We held them out for a few sets and then they broke and got a try and it was all downhill from there.”

The Maroons were simply out-muscled up front by NSW and were overwhelmed.

“It is a tough game to play and a lot tougher when you are tired. It snowballed against (NSW) and we couldn’t stop it,” Slater said.“I thought the second half was quite good. We went after our footy a bit more and we were a little more patient.

“We weren’t looking for any shortcuts to draw back the scoreline. There were too many things in that first half that we didn’t do as well as we would have liked. We all know that.”