HAMMER TIME!
By TOM SMITH
QUEENSLAND coach Billy Slater is hoping Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow’s shift to fullback can power Queensland to a boil-over victory in Wednesday’s State of Origin decider in Sydney.
Incumbent Maroons number one Kalyn Ponga suffered a Lisfranc injury in his foot on club duty with Newcastle, ruling him out of Game Three.
Slater and the Queensland brains trust opted to shift Tabuai-Fidow (pictured) from the wing to the back, instead of bringing Broncos fullback Reece Walsh into the line-up.
The current coach also began his Origin career in the threequarter line before cementing the fullback position for a decade of Maroons dominance, so he knows what it takes for Tabuai-Fidow to make the move.
“I just think it’s the right fit for the footy team right now, he’s in a great stage of his career,” Slater told media after announcing his selection.