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CAMERON SPENCER / GETTY IMAGES
Billy Slater (center) congratulates Daly Cherry-Evans after his try-out 59th minute.
"I only played two games," he said. "It was a little surprising, I was always confident in what I could bring to a team, and that 's all I wanted to do, I felt like I was going to do it. Had done tonight.
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* Queensland denies the original state sweep of NSW
* Summary: State of Origin III – Queensland vs NSW
MARK KOLBE / GETTY IMAGES
Billy Slater was hit with a shoulder load of Latrell Mitchell at stage III.
"Having another medal Wally Lewis in my last game, to lead the boys as captain, it's going to be very special.
" It's really special. Wally was a hero while I was growing up. The win for the second time will be one of my greatest achievements.
Slater finished Wednesday night with 136 meters, three assists and one assist try.
MARK KOLBE / GETTY IMAGES [19659010] Billy Slater finished with 136 meters, three line break assistances and a test assist in State of Origin III He also won the Wally Lewis medal.
He also became the second player after Arthur Beetson was named captain of Origin after his 35th birthday, after being named to the post after an injury to Greg Inglis.
NSW had the series wrapped up by the time he came to Suncorp Stadium and a number of their main lights seemed a good bet to be given the honor of the best player on three games
James Maloney, Boyd Cordner and James Tedesco came to mind. Just like Damien Cook, the Rabbitohs hooker who was excellent again at the 18-12 defeat in Brisbane
but few, if any, would have chosen Slater, all the more so since he was born there. 39, played only the second and third games of the series. a match with a hamstring injury. He will be the first player on a losing team to receive the medal, which was awarded in 2004.
Queensland lost the second and while Slater was good in the third match, many thought Daly Cherry-Evans was the best on the run as he cleverly guided the Maroons to a victory save face.
The prize is selected by Australian coaches Darren Lockyer and Laurie Daley, who entry coach Kangaroo Mal Meninga. They will surely be asked to explain their reasoning given the outstanding performance of the team that won the interstate series.
Slater had previously paid tribute to his teammates and those who had helped shape his early career. It was not his fault that this ended in strange circumstances but questions must be asked about the parameters that go into such a decision.
Blues coach Brad Fittler said he could not upset Slater with the Wally Lewis medal. But he doubted it was for his performances through the 2018 series.
"I can live with the fact that Billy is taking away the medal," Fittler said. "I do not know if it was for the two games that he played in this series, there were some guys in our team that I thought very well played, I can live with him by taking away a medal but it was more than that. "
Fittler said that he thought Tom Trbojevic stood out from NSW before ending any further question on the subject.
" C & # 39 is enough for Billy 19659007] Cordner was gracious on stage as he was receiving the shield in front of a crowd away, a tradition that surely had to be condemned to the past after this year.
He thanked his players, who defended as if their lives depended on it, and he said that he was proud of being part of a group that helped revive the jersey and rivalry. [19659006] "For you guys from NSW, over the years, we have not had much success. Every year the support seems to be growing and that shows what our state is doing, "said Cordner. "I'm proud to be a new South Welsh."
– Brisbane Times
