Matters of State: Dual hooker dilemma for Maroons

Maroons great Cameron Smith believes there is a compelling reason for Queensland to pick Harry Grant on the interchange in Origin II.

"I saw a stat I wasn’t aware of. Harry Grant has four starts for Queensland and he has lost all four games," Smith said on 100% Footy.

It is well known that Grant prefers to come off the bench and that is why he performs at his best when playing in tandem with Ben Hunt for Queensland and Australia.

The Maroons have won six of the eight Origins in which Grant has started from the interchange.

Hunt, who usually starts at hooker, also provides versatility as he can cover the halves, and centre if needed, and often plays the role of "backrover" if he and Grant are on the field together.

With Hunt sidelined by a hamstring injury, the dilemma for Queensland coach Billy Slater is that there isn't really another player with his versatility.

Raiders rookie Owen Pattie and Canterbury's Reed Mahoney are the two most likely options if Slater wanted to select a second hooker to start the June 18 match in Perth.

Otherwise, he will need to rely on a bench utility, with Tom Dearden again the most likely to fill the role if Slater sticks with Daly Cherry-Evans at halfback and Cameron Munster at five-eighth.

If Dearden is on the bench, it will limit Slater's ability to make other changes to his line-up such as playing Kalyn Ponga in a roving role from the interchange and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow at fullback.

Dearden has never played hooker at NRL level, and it is hard to imagine him starting an Origin as dummy half, meaning Grant will again take the field for kick-off.

If Dearden replaces Cherry-Evans at halfback, there would be a spot for Pattie or Mahoney in the squad.

That would have an impact on the make-up of the rest of Slater's bench, with a secondrower who can play centre like Kurt Capewell or Beau Fermor more valuable.

Kurt Mann, who has played every position on the field but is now thriving at lock for the Bulldogs, would also make a handy bench utility after being 18th man in the series opener.

If Mann was on the bench, along with Dearden or Ponga, the Maroons could carry another middle forward and an edge forward.

Canberra prop Corey Horsburgh is expected to come into the side for Origin II.

Props

• Incumbents: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Moeaki Fotuaika
• Contenders: Corey Horsburgh, Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter, Pat Carrigan

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is considered a future Maroons captain and he tried to inspire his team-mates after missing last year’s Origin series with a knee injury by running 121 metres with the ball and making 30 tackles. However, Titans team-mate Moeaki Fotuaika was far less effective and made 38 metres from just four runs with the ball during two stints totalling 45 minutes. Raiders firebrand Corey Horsburgh is an obvious replacement if Slater wants to move Fotuaiaka to the bench or even axe him from the squad, but Reuben Cotter may be another option after playing on the left edge in Origin II. Lindsay Collins came off the bench in Origin I after eight weeks on the sidelines due to a knee injury but with another game for Sydney Roosters under his belt he could be a possible starter.

Hooker

• Incumbent: Harry Grant
• Contenders: Owen Pattie, Reed Mahoney

With Ben Hunt injured, Harry Grant was forced to start Origin I and he looked underdone after playing just 55 minutes for the Storm in the previous six weeks. Tom Dearden isn’t a regular dummy half and while he was creative in attack when replacing Grant late in the match, his service wasn’t as crisp as expected of a top line hooker. Concerns about his discipline for the Bulldogs have reportedly counted against Reed Mahoney being picked for Queensland but some believe he would be suited to the Origin arena. Raiders rookie Owen Pattie may be another option and after graduating from Queensland Under 19s he has become a permanent NRL fixture, playing every match this season and starring in last weekend’s defeat of the Roosters. Dolphins utility Max Plath could have been another option as he rotates between lock and hooker, like NSW’s Connor Watson, but he has been out with a foot injury since Round 7 and delayed his comeback in Friday night’s clash with the Dragons.  

Secondrowers

• Incumbents: Jeremiah Nanai, Rueben Cotter
• Contenders: Beau Fermor, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Kurt Capewell

The fact that Reuben Cotter plays in the middle for the Cowboys and Kangaroos but has been picked as a left second-rower in the last two Origins highlights how short the Maroons are for edge forwards. Cowboys team-mate Jeremiah Nanai was one of Queensland's best players in Origin I on the right edge, while Cotter got through a mountain of work on the left - making 45 tackles and running 51 metres from seven carries of the ball. However, Cotter may be of more value in the middle and if the Maroons want more strike on the left edge then Gold Coast's Beau Fermor, Dolphins backrower Kulikefu Finefeuiaki or Warriors veteran Kurt Capewell could be a better option.   

Lock

• Incumbent: Pat Carrigan
• Contenders: Kurt Mann, J’maine Hopgood

Broncos forward Pat Carrigan led the Maroons forward pack in run metres (139m) and tackles (53) after being chosen by Slater in his preferred lock position. Unless Slater wanted to include a ball playing lock like Canterbury's Kurt Mann or Parramatta's J’maine Hopgood it is hard to think of any reason to move Carrigan into the frontrow.