Queensland set to roll the dice on Reece Walsh for Origin II but two stars from the huge win in Sydney have been omitted by coach Billy Slater

Queensland will select Reece Walsh for Game II of the State of Origin series, but Selwyn Cobbo will not be included in Billy Slater’s squad and veteran Kurt Capewell will take his place.

J’maine Hopgood, who made his debut in the series opener, will also miss due to a back injury. Felise Kaufusi will replace him in the selection.

It remains unclear whether Cobbo was dropped or if he suffered an injury during Brisbane’s recent loss to South Sydney.

Walsh suffered a concussion early in the first game at the Accor Stadium, forcing Cobbo off the bench in a selection twist that had been criticized in the build-up to the match but ultimately proved to be a masterstroke.

The 21-year-old fullback was struck by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in the seventh minute of Queensland’s 38-10 win in Sydney.

Walsh has not played since that win, but Cobbo will not be available for insurance this time if the Broncos’ star fullback fails to complete the second Origin in Melbourne.

It comes after he was knocked out by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in the opening match of Origin at Accor Stadium

Walsh was unable to play the remainder of that game and has not lined up for the Broncos since

Walsh has since completed all necessary concussion protocols while with the Brisbane club missed NRL matches against Cronulla and South Sydney during his mandatory 11-day stand-down period.

Walsh is expected to play NSW at the MCG on June 26, provided he passes final tests.

“I’ve spoken to Reece over the last week and he’s ticked all the boxes and is very professional outside the game,” Maroons coach Billy Slater told Channel Nine on Sunday.

Walsh’s club and Origin doctor are confident he will pass the cognitive tests, which will almost certainly see him play in Game II.

His concussion reprieve ended Sunday night, which is a big relief for the Maroons.

“Obviously Billy will select him,” Broncos coach Kevin Walters said.

“Reece is good. He carries out all protocols with the HIAs [Head Injury Assessments] and he will be fine going for Origin II.”

Queensland coach Billy Slater is confident Walsh will be back to his best despite the concussion layoff

Selwyn Cobbo was on the bench for Origin I and could replace Walsh in the backline, but he has not been selected for Origin II

New Zealand Warriors warhorse Kurt Capewell has been recalled to the Origin squad

Parramatta’s J’maine Hopgood, who made his debut in the first match, is likely out due to a back injury.

Dolphins veteran Felise Kaufusi will replace him on the bench. Kaufusi was the 18th man in Game I and was playing when Walsh left the field.

For Game II, the Blues have opted for South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell at center, who was a key player in NSW’s 2-1 win in 2021 but has not played for the Blues since.

“At the end of the day, you’re playing against quality no matter who’s on the team,” Slater said of Mitchell.

‘We do our due diligence in preparing against the opposition and give them respect, but we also have to respect our own game.’

Despite their victory, the Maroons were not entirely satisfied with their performance in Sydney.

“I don’t think our footy was consistent. We were really in and out of that game,” said team manager and former Queensland forward Nate Myles.

“We had a style of football that we wanted to play, but we didn’t execute it well.”

POSSIBLE QUEENSLAND TEAM: 1 Reece Walsh, 2 Xavier Coates, 3 Valentine Holmes, 4 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 5 Murray Taulagi, 6 Tom Dearden, 7 Daly Cherry-Evans, 8 Reuben Cotter, 9 Ben Hunt, 10 Lindsay Collins, 11 Jaydn Su’A, 12 Jeremiah Nanai, 13 Patrick Carrigan, 14 Harry Grant, 15 Moeaki Fotuaika, 16 Felise Kaufusi, 17 Kurt Capewell.