14 hours ago
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May 14, 2026 — 5:00am
Sam Walker was born for the Origin stage, and it’s time for Billy Slater to give him the No.7 jersey.
Walker is unpredictable, he’s a great attacking halfback, and the bigger the occasion the better he will go.
It will be a test for Walker because he’ll be defending on the right, up against Hudson Young and Latrell Mitchell, but he’ll be defending alongside Roosters teammate Robert Toia, which will help.
I think the idea that Kalyn Ponga could wear the No.7 for Queensland is absolutely laughable.
If you want to have a look at how Kalyn defends, go back and look at the try Latrell scored against the Knights a few weeks ago. Latrell ran over the top of him, and Kalyn got his head in the wrong position.
We’ve seen Kalyn try and defend in the halves before, when the Knights had him play at five-eighth in 2023, and he was knocked out cold against the Tigers at Leichhardt oval.
Billy Slater could go back to Daly Cherry-Evans, but I think his time is up, and it’s time for new blood.
Ben Hunt is another option, but I think his versatility makes him the perfect No.14, and we’ve seen that over the years – most recently for Brisbane.
Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd is another player who’s been floated, but I think it’s too big a jump in class and Tanah has only found his form in the past 18 months, while the other potential is North Queensland’s Jake Clifford. Jake is a big body, has a good kicking game, he chases kicks, and he’s strong in the air, but I’d still be going with Sam Walker.
I really like Sammy. He’s a great character, he’s plenty of fun, and he’s a typical halfback: cheeky, extroverted, and life of the party. But I can’t wish him luck if he gets the nod for Queensland against my NSW Blues.
The Maroons will really miss Tom Dearden, though. They’ll miss his toughness and his competitiveness – especially his scrambling defence. How many times is a try scored and he’s in the frame? He covers all over the park, and he’s always there.
It will be interesting to see if Billy starts Reece Walsh at fullback. I would be, but then how does Queensland use Kalyn?
Kalyn debuted in the middle of the field in 2018, made 29 tackles and was dangerous. And, there’s a big difference defending in the middle compared to an edge.
Magic round is nothing without Brisbane
There’s talk that Magic Round could leave Brisbane. No way.
It’s got to stay in Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium – close to town, and of course, it’s close to pubs, cafés and restaurants ... but mostly pubs.
It’s a festival of rugby league. All the fans wearing their jerseys and colours, and there’s always such a good feel around town.
Thursday and Friday when you’re flying up, there’s a buzz at the airport – the anticipation of watching a heap of footy and having fun. Going home on a Sunday night or a Monday morning, it’s a bit different, there are a few people needing a big hug and to be told it’s going to be OK.
If you haven’t been, it’s a must for any league fan. Go up with a group of friends, or take the family.
A battle between two of league’s greatest playmakers
When the Dolphins and Rabbitohs played in round one, South Sydney won 40-30.
Last year, when they played in round 17, the Dolphins won 50-28.
The Rabbitohs have scored 30 points or more in their last six games, so I think the team that wins this match on Friday night will have to score at least 40 points.
The Rabbitohs’ record at Suncorp Stadium isn’t great – they’ve lost five of their last six – but both teams love to attack.
The match-up I can’t wait for is Isaiya Katoa and Cody Walker – two of my favourite players. Watching these two, I’m just in rugby league heaven, and Cody is an absolute genius.
It’s going to be a big test for the Dolphins right side, in particular for Jack Bostock who will defending in the centres, along with Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
Cody on that left side is destroying teams and has for years. Last week, the Rabbitohs absolutely annihilated the Sharks’ right-side defence.
Jeremy Marshall-King added so much when he came on for the Dolphins last week, and his return has strengthened the team, but also the bench.
The player to watch is second-rower Connelly Lemuelu, because his big target will be South Sydney halfback Ashton Ward in the defensive line. And I think he’s a big chance of getting some tries.
Joey’s tip: Dolphins by six
First try scorer: Connelly Lemuelu
Man of the match: Isaiya Katoa
Blues and Maroons No.6s go toe-to-toe ahead of Origin
Melbourne finally got a win and looked strong last week, but they were up against a depleted Tigers side.
Harry Grant was a 10/10 once again – he played out of this world and was an absolute champion.
I think they’ll kick on after that win, but I still think Melbourne will struggle to make the top eight at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Eels were amazing last week against the Cowboys. They looked gone on several occasions, never in the game, but they stayed in it and in the end, Mitchell Moses got them home.
Considering the injuries and the long-term injuries, especially with Isaiah Iongi out, it was a great win for Parramatta.
I’m looking forward to seeing the two Origin No.6s going up against each other: Moses and Cameron Munster. They’re both champion players, and both of them lift for big games and big occasions.
Joey’s tip: Storm by 10
First try scorer: Cameron Munster
Man of the match: Harry Grant
The match that will have Suncorp Stadium shaking
Broncos and Warriors on a Sunday afternoon – this game will be packed to the rafters.
At some games at Magic Round, fans come in and out of the stadium, but this one will be absolutely packed.
I think this match will be a classic. The Warriors are coming of the bye, which means they’ll be dangerous and fresh.
The Warriors give you absolutely nothing. The way Andrew Webster coaches is high completion rate, minimal errors, good discipline, and that makes them incredibly hard to beat. They just don’t beat themselves.
The player to sit back and watch is Leka Halasima – the right back-rower. If you haven’t watched him closely, this bloke is an absolute superstar. He’s only 20 years old, but he’s so powerful and fast with great footwork.
Defending him as a halfback would be an absolute horror movie. One-on-one, he’s just nearly impossible to stop.
This is a big game for Reece Walsh. I think he should be the Queensland No.1, but with the form Kalyn is in, Reece will want to have a really big game.
The Broncos will lift after last week’s hammering against Manly, and one player in particular who really needs to lift is Ezra Mam. Defensively, last week, he was really poor.
This game will probably be tight for 50-to-60 minutes, but then I think the Warriors will get away with it late.
Joey’s tip: Warriors by 10
First try-scorer: Alofiana Khan-Pereira
Man of the match: Taine Tuaupiki
