Queensland Maroons 2023

[gUt]

Yep, well deserved retirement. What a solid merkin he was for us.

On form, my current Qld side (not bothered looking up injuries and suspensions)

1. Walsh
2. Hammer
3. Holmes
4. Gagai
5. Cobbo
6. Munster
7. DCE
8. Collins
9. Grant
10. Tino
11. Kaufusi
12. Fifita
13. Carrigan

14. Hunt
15. Gilbert
16. Horsburgh
17. Cotter

18. Hopgood

 

[mongoose]

If Ponga keeps playing like he did on the weekend surely he keeps his fullback spot....

 

[gUt]

If Ponga keeps playing like he did on the weekend surely he keeps his fullback spot....

I could live with that but I feel he's so fragile

 

[Eelectrica]

If Ponga can have another big game against the Sharks he’s a strong chance. The Titans aren’t the best test unfortunately.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Way too many errors from Walsh, he needs at least another year.

 

[isaiah]

Incredible options picking the forward pack. Multiple middle and edge forwards in form and making cases.

I would start with Tino, Kaufusi, Capewell, Welch, Hunt, and Carrigan. Bench of Grant, Collins, Flegler, and Fifita. Gilbert and Cotter very unlucky.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Slater will be picking Cotter mate. But agree there will be some unlucky players, all those forwards have a case.

 

[Big Pete]

Round 4
Anthony Milford - Five Eighth
Josh Papalii - Prop

Round 5
Mitchell Dunn - Prop/Second Row
Brendan Elliot - Wing
Riley Price - Prop/Second Row

Round 6
Karl Lawton - Hooker/Backrow
Edrick Lee - Wing
Brad Schneider - Halfback
Toby Sexton - Five Eighth

Round 7
JJ Collins - Prop
Andrew Davey - Second Row
Kobe Hetherington - Lock

Round 8
Jaiyden Hunt - Prop/Second Row
Thomas Mikaele - Prop

Round 9
Klese Haas - Prop/Second Row
Karl Oloapu - Five Eighth

Round 10
Kulikefu Finefeuaki - Second Row

Round 11
Blake Wilson - Wing

Round 12
Ben Condon - Prop/Second Row

Reserves
Marly Bitungane - Second Row
Brendan Frei - Second Row
Jack Howarth - Second Row/Centre
Zac Laybutt - Centre

 

[Big Pete]

Queensland Eligible Players Round 1

Fullback
AJ Brimson - Gold Coast Titans
Jayden Campbell - Gold Coast Titans
Tomas Chester - North Queensland Cowboys
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow - Dolphins
Reece Walsh - Brisbane Broncos

Wing
Xavier Coates - Melbourne Storm
Selwyn Cobbo - Brisbane Broncos
Brendan Elliot - North Queensland Cowboys
Kyle Feldt - North Queensland Cowboys
Jojo Fifita - Gold Coast Titans
Hymel Hunt - Newcastle Knights
Alofiana Khan-Pereira - Gold Coast Titans
Edrick Lee - Dolphins
Tesi Niu - Dolphins
Corey Oates - Brisbane Broncos
Murray Taulagi - North Queensland Cowboys
Blake Wilson - Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Centre
Corey Allan - Sydney Roosters
Dane Gagai - Newcastle Knights
Valentine Holmes - North Queensland Cowboys
Brenko Lee - Dolphins
Phillip Sami - Gold Coast Titans
Gehamat Shibasaki - North Queensland Cowboys
Isaiah Tass - South Sydney Rabbitohs
Enari Tuala - Newcastle Knights

Five Eighth
Tom Dearden - North Queensland Cowboys
Tyson Gamble - Newcastle Knights
Ezra Mam - Brisbane Broncos
Anthony Milford - Dolphins
Cameron Munster - Melbourne Storm
Karl Oloapu - Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Kalyn Ponga - Newcastle Knights
Ryan Rivett* - Newcastle Knights
Toby Sexton - Gold Coast Titans

Halfback
Tanah Boyd - Gold Coast Titans
Daly Cherry-Evans - Manly Sea Eagles
Jamal Fogarty - Canberra Raiders
Ben Hunt - St George Illawarra Dragons
Brad Schneider - Canberra Raiders
Braydon Trindall - Cronulla Sharks
Sam Walker - Sydney Roosters

Front Row
Ethan Bullemor - Manly Sea Eagles
JJ Collins - Dolphins
Lindsay Collins - Sydney Roosters
Ben Condon - Manly Sea Eagles
Reuben Cotter - North Queensland Cowboys
Mitchell Dunn - North Queensland Cowboys
Iszack Fa'asuamaleaui - Gold Coast Titans
Tino Fa'asuamaleaui - Gold Coast Titans
Thomas Flegler - Brisbane Broncos
Moeaki Fotuaika - Gold Coast Titans
Klese Haas - Gold Coast Titans
Corey Horsburgh - Canberra Raiders
Jaiyden Hunt - St George Illawarra Dragons
Corey Jensen - Brisbane Broncos
Josh Kerr - St George Illawarra Dragons
Alec MacDonald - Melbourne Storm
Thomas Mikaele - Gold Coast Titans
Francis Molo - St George Illawarra Dragons
Michael Molo - St George Illawarra Dragons
Joe Ofahengaue - Wests Tigers
Keenan Palasia - Brisbane Broncos
Riley Price - North Queensland Cowboys
Jarrod Wallace - Dolphins
Christian Welch - Melbourne Storm

Hooker
Harry Grant - Melbourne Storm
Jake Granville - North Queensland Cowboys
Karl Lawton - Manly Sea Eagles
Reed Mahoney - Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Moses Mbye - St George Illawarra Dragons
Cory Paix - Brisbane Broncos
Jake Simpkin - Wests Tigers
Jake Turpin - Sydney Roosters
Billy Walters - Brisbane Broncos

Second Row
Jai Arrow - South Sydney Rabbitohs
Kurt Capewell - Brisbane Broncos
Andrew Davey - Parramatta Eels
David Fifita - Gold Coast Titans
Kulikefu Finefeauaki - North Queensland Cowboys
Coen Hess - North Queensland Cowboys
Felise Kaufusi - Dolphins
Trent Loiero - Melbourne Storm
Heilum Luki - North Queensland Cowboys
Jeremiah Nanai - North Queensland Cowboys
Jaydn Su'A - St George Illawarra Dragons

Lock
Patrick Carrigan - Brisbane Broncos
Tom Gilbert - Dolphins
Kobe Hetherington - Brisbane Broncos
J'maine Hopgood - Parramatta Eels
Kurt Mann - Newcastle Knights

Reserves
Daniel Atkinson - Cronulla Sharks
Jayden Berrell - Cronulla Sharks
Marly Bitungane - North Queensland Cowboys
Jake Bourke - North Queensland Cowboys
Brendan Frei - Brisbane Broncos
Jack Howarth - Melbourne Storm
Tuku Hau Tapuha - Cronulla Sharks
Zac Laybutt - North Queensland Cowboys
Brendan Piakura - Brisbane Broncos
Treymain Spry - Gold Coast Titans

 

[Big Pete]

Injuries/Suspensions

Corey Oates - Round 13
Tautau Moga - Round 13
AJ Brimson - Round 14
Andrew Davey - Round 14
Jeremiah Nanai - Round 14
Toby Sexton - Round 14
Sam Walker - Round 14
Jack Howarth - Round 15
Kurt Mann - Indefinite
Adrian Trevilyan - Mid-Season
Bailey Biondi-Odo - Round 21
Tomas Chester - Season
Beau Fermor - Season
Josh Papalii - Retired

Felise Kaufusi is facing a 3-4 week suspension. If he fights it and fails, he'd miss Game II.

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui could be in trouble for a raised forearm on Reed Mahoney. The on-field referee and bunker cleared it, but the Fox Sports team of Andrew Voss, Michael Ennis, Braith Anasta and Greg Alexander were vehement that he should be sanctioned. The only defence came from Corey Parker who argued players like Warea-Hargreaves and Asofa-Solomona use the same action.

 

[Big Pete]

Paul Vautin's Team (Picked prior to Papalii's retirement)

1. Reece Walsh
2. Selwyn Cobbo
3. Valentine Holmes
4. Dane Gagai
5. Xavier Coates
6. Cameron Munster
7. Daly Cherry-Evans
8. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
9. Ben Hunt
10. Josh Papali'i
11. Kurt Capewell
12. Felise Kaufusi
13. Patrick Carrigan

14. Harry Grant
15. Lindsay Collins
16. Thomas Flegler
17. Kalyn Ponga

(18th man) Jai Arrow

Supercoach Picks the team (Round 11, average scores with a minimum of five games)
1. Reece Walsh (79.2)
2. Valentine Holmes (64.9)
3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (59.9)
4. Dane Gagai (74.3)
5. Phillip Sami (56.4)
6. Cameron Munster (78.4)
7. Daly Cherry-Evans (74.3)
8. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (67.3)
9. Harry Grant (72.8)
10. Patrick Carrigan (60.3)
11. David Fifita (86.4)
12. Tom Gilbert (60.7)
13. J'maine Hopgood (72.4)

Honorable Mentions: Ben Hunt (63.5), Heilum Luki (56.8), Sam Walker (55.5), Jaydn Su'A (55), Tesi Niu (54.4), Christian Welch (51.3), Kalyn Ponga (52.2), Corey Horsbrough (57.2), Reuben Cotter (59.4)

 

[ALX25]

18th man likely Tom Dearden or Reece Walsh.

 

[Big Pete]

The latest reports suggest Murray Taulagi, Reuben Cotter, Jai Arrow & Thomas Flegler will be picked for the Maroons with Dearden as 18th man.

Flegler's selection sounds contingent on whether Tino will be charged for his fore-arm or lifting tackle on Pangai Jr. Both TPJ and Mahoney went into bat for Tino.

 

[Big Pete]

Reece Walsh is also in the squad as cover for Ponga.
Fifita is back, Capewell and Gagai are facing the axe.

 

[beave]

Tualagi has not been playing well enough to earn an origin call up, stupid decision by the selectors IMO.

Even Cotter I would be hesitant (and I am a Reubz fan boi), I don't think he's been playing anywhere near his 2022 standard. Ball playing before the line rubbish and his handling errors have been highly disappointing.

 

[Showtime]

Tualagi has not been playing well enough to earn an origin call up, stupid decision by the selectors IMO.

Even Cotter I would be hesitant (and I am a Reubz fan boi), I don't think he's been playing anywhere near his 2022 standard. Ball playing before the line rubbish and his handling errors have been highly disappointing.

I haven’t really watched enough Cowboys to comment on Cotters form but he strikes me as one of those guys who will kill it at origin level regardless of club form IMO.

 

[Pumpkin]

Walsh is not quite ready for origin. Ponga is the man for the job. I'm a NSW supporter. I hope you pick Walsh. He will screw up.

 

[Spot On]

Ponga out,Walsh in.

Gagai dumped.

Apparently.

 

[ALX25]

Welch > Flegler.

 

[some11]

Gagai has been a match winner so many times.

Dumb call from Slater, putting a lot of pressure on himself here.