Patrick Carrigan headlines a group of Brisbane Broncos players who could be in line for State of Origin selection.
The star forward, who spent most of 2021 on the sidelines with an ACL injury, has been excellent in Brisbane's forward pack during the early part of the year.
Touted as a future Broncos captain, Carrigan came back from another injury last weekend against the South Sydney Rabbitohs and put together a starring performance in the face of adversity - with gun New South Wales Blues prop Payne Haas watching on from the sideline.
News Corp have revealed Slater will be in attendance for the Broncos clash with the Sea Eagles as magic round gets underway on Friday evening, with Slater also revealing that Thomas Flegler, Corey Oates and Keenan Palasia could be on the Queensland selection radar.
“I’m definitely watching a guy like Pat,” Slater told News Corp.
“I want our guys to think: ‘What will it take for me to be an Origin player? What actions do I need to improve on? What do I continually need to do to put myself in a position to play for Queensland?’
“Pat certainly exhibits all of that.
“He was coming back from a knee injury (against Souths) and I was super impressed with Carrigan’s attitude.
“That tells me he is taking his professionalism seriously. Pat came back earlier than expected and the way he played against Souths, he is doing a great job.
“I have also been impressed with several other Broncos players like Tom Flegler, Corey Oates and Keenan Palasia.
“They are all Queenslanders and while I may not be able to pick all of them, it is great to see their form at the moment.”
Palasia's potential selection may raise the most eyebrows, with the youngster finding a permanent part of Kevin Walters' forward rotation this season but thus far not having his name mentioned when it comes to potential Origin selections.
Oates and Flegler have both previously played State of Origin, and could well fit back into Queensland's team as the state look to overthrow a dominant Blues outfit who humiliated them in 2021 when all three games were played north of the Tweed.
Slater will pick his first Origin squad as coach in three weeks.
“I want our guys to think: ‘What will it take for me to be an Origin player? What actions do I need to improve on? What do I continually need to do to put myself in a position to play for Queensland?’
Understandable attitude – given he is an SOO coach – but dumb, nevertheless.
A player’s primary responsibility is to his team and his club. If he is playing in one position, and there is already an SOO player with a lock on that position, then from his personal standpoint switching to another position might be the best way to get into an SOO team. However that may not be in the best interests of his team or his club.