For every tough State of Origin selection phone call, there’s an equally rewarding one for a coach to make. And for Queensland coach Billy Slater, the latter was to J’maine Hopgood, who will debut for the Maroons in this year’s series-opener against New South Wales. He will do so in place of incumbent Queensland second-rower David Fifita, who has been axed after eight games for the Maroons. Slater said he knew how much it meant to Hopgood the moment the uncapped 25-year-old answered the phone.
Hopgood will be a high-energy tackling machine for the Maroons, but Slater took umbrage at the suggestions that’s all he is. “We’ll talk to the coaches and work out what our best 13 looks like in terms of starting and then who comes off the bench. That’ll happen as the week goes on but he’s much more than a high work rate player, you’ve got to watch him a bit closer,” he said.