Tom Dearden delays give Sam Walker and Reece Walsh chance to create legacy
Tom Dearden’s delay in recovery from his syndesmosis injury has enabled Sam Walker to complete his first State of Origin campaign, giving him the chance to do what his NSW counterpart Nathan Cleary has so far failed to achieve.
Dearden’s chance of returning for the second game was thought to be an outside chance, and after being given an initial return timeline of four to six weeks following round 10, he was certain to be considered for the final game of the series as well.
However, North Queensland’s vice-captain failed to take the field.
This opens the door for Walker to accomplish what Dearden did last year: finish the series with the Wally Lewis Medal.
Following his starring debut in game one, Walker won the man of the match award in game two.
Plus, Walker going toe-to-toe with Cleary gives him the opportunity to guide his team to a series-defining victory. Cleary lost all three series he was a part of, leaving the 2026 series locked at 1-1.
Maroons coach Billy Slater emphasized that the outcome of next Wednesday’s decision will not fall on Walker’s shoulders.
“These are great topics… but one of the things I love about Sammy is that he’s not results-oriented,” Slater said.
“He’s really focused on the things that will help him play well, that’s what he’s done to get himself into this position and I’m sure he’ll continue to focus.
“He’s been great, as have his teammates. It’s really important that we focus on the things that help us play well, so while those are great talking points and there’s going to be a lot of discussion about individuals on this football team, I can tell you from the inside, we’re going to focus on the things that help us play well.”
Dearden’s failure to overcome his injury helped Reece Walsh retain his place on the six-man bench, despite the Broncos full-back being sidelined for the second leg.
Theories abounded as to how Walsh would be deployed, and a huge roar from the crowd was triggered when Kalyn Ponga was spotted on the sidelines wearing headphones after being taken aside for a head injury assessment.
Many pundits felt that sitting at the crossroads was a waste of him, despite his indifferent form for the club, with suggestions that a game-breaker of his caliber could be used in the middle of the field late in the game.
Slater was coy about how Walsh might be used.
“There are different ways to inject everyone on our bench… if Kalyn had failed on that occasion, Reece would have gone straight ahead and so he was ready to continue,” Slater said.
“The one thing I liked about Reece’s preparations last camp was that he was ready to do whatever it took, whatever it took for the team. “I had a talk with him last night to let him know again that he’s been selected and he’s ready to do whatever it takes.
“Sometimes we can get stuck on any one person, but the strength of this team is the team.”
NSW coach Laurie Daley has come under fire for her tactics and team selection after the Blues started poorly in game one, falling behind 20-0 and then being swept off the field in a 44-24 defeat at the MCG.
Daley swung the axe, dropping Brian To’o, Dylan Lucas, Kotoni Staggs, Victor Radley and Api Koroisau, calling up Jack Bostock, Haumole Olakau’atu, Liam Martin, Blayke Brailey and Bradman Best.
Slater, who hinted that this would not be his last game with the Maroons despite being out of contract after this year, said such comments would not affect Queensland’s mentality.
“They’re bringing in a guy with different strengths for us, so we have to accept that as a member of the team they’re playing against,” Slater said.
“We have to accept the players we’re going to face, what strengths they have and how we want to tackle that. It’s not about the other things and whether it’s the right or wrong decision, it’s about what’s in front of us.”
“It’s really important to focus on the next nine days and the 80 minutes at the end of those nine days. If you focus on what other people are talking about, that will fill the void in your mind.”
