Queensland Maroons head coach Billy Slater has made the bold choice to exclude Reece Walsh from his lineup for the opening game of the 2026 State of Origin series.
This isn't the only change, as five debutants are set to take the field for the Maroons, leading to several notable talking points from Brisbane.
See the full Queensland Maroons team for Game 1 here
Speculation grew on Sunday evening when rumors about Reece Walsh's potential omission first surfaced.
Initially, reports indicated that Kalyn Ponga would step in as halfback, but from Queensland's perspective, that scenario seems to have been avoided.
Instead, Slater has decided to rely solely on Ponga at fullback, which places a significant amount of responsibility on the Knights star in Game 1.
Walsh, pivotal in Brisbane's triumph in the NRL 2025 season and a Kangaroo representative in 2026, has experienced an inconsistent start to the new year, casting uncertainty over how both players would fit into the squad.
Now, only one will play, and it's not the choice most had anticipated.
With Ponga locked in at fullback and Tom Dearden sidelined due to injury-who had an outstanding performance in the 2025 series alongside Cameron Munster-it will be Sam Walker taking the number seven jersey for the Maroons.