Queensland fullback Billy Slater is gearing up for his final State of Origin series, but when asked about which player could take over from him in the future, Slater backed rep veteran Darius Boyd to take the reigns.
Boyd has played in 28 Origin matches - one fewer than Slater - and the Storm star believes while Kalyn Ponga will eventually make the No. 1 Maroons jersey his own, it should be Boyd's for the foreseeable future.
“I understand there is a lot of hype around Kalyn at the moment and he is a fantastic young player - he’s got a bright future,” Slater said during his retirement press conference on Tuesday.
“I have no doubt he will play for Queensland one day.
“Whether this year or the year after, I am not sure.
“But Darius is a fantastic No.1 as well. He has been there, pretty experienced.
“He had a bad hamstring at the end of last year ... it is going to take a bit to get back.
“But he would certainly be a guy. He has done it before.”
With three games left in his representative career, Slater is confident he can make an impact in the 2018 series, and hopes to go out with a bang, guiding the Maroons to their 12th series win in 13 years.
“It would have been disappointing being selected knowing I was probably past it,” Slater added.
“It’s a good felling knowing I can still contribute to the team and not picked for my reputation.
“I would like to finish my rep career making a difference.”
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