Billy Slater has made all the correct strikes and pulled all the correct strings in two years as Queensland coach – and has arguably by no means been higher within the coaches field as he was throughout the Maroons’ 32-6 recreation two win which delivered one other protect north of the border.
But he was simply as spectacular within the post-match throughout a five-minute look on Channel 9 the place he oozed the eagerness and management that has made him an prompt success.
Slater offered perception on how he goes about forming his squad, the mantra they lived by this 12 months and the motivation behind their spirited shows in a silky interview that may make Maroons followers beam and Blues followers look on with envy.
Slater is within the candy spot NSW coach Brad Fittler was in 2019 after he delivered back-to-back successes in his first two years in cost.
The former Melbourne Storm fullback might be on the lookout for extra success than the one collection win in 4 years Fittler has delivered since.
And if the chilling five-word mantra he revealed Queensland utilized in camp this 12 months is something to go by, you’ll be able to financial institution on the wins to maintain coming.
“I can, because we are,” Slater mentioned.
One rugby league podcaster reacted to what he heard by tweeting: “That is f***ing haunting and if you don’t get it, you don’t get it. Slater might be more dangerous as a coach than a fullback which is terrifying.”
Slater has begun as an underdog in each collection however has discovered a mixture of gamers who’re exhibiting indicators of starting a dynasty.
“It’s a really special group, this group. They just get what it’s all about, they get who it’s for,” Slater started.
“It’s for themselves, it’s for their families, it’s for the people who have worn the jersey before them. But most of all it’s for the Queensland people and that’s not lost to this group.
“That keeps their feet moving through those tough times in the first half when they just had to continually defend their try line and then they got a chance to get their footy on in the second half.”
Slater revealed he spends the primary 12 rounds of the season particularly watching the habits of potential Queensland gamers, seeing the little issues which might be typically ignored however develop into essential within the Origin enviornment.
That consists of the 2 man of the match winners from the primary two video games – Reuben Cotter and Lindsay Collins.
“If you watch Lindsay Collins, and you watch Reuben Cotter and Pat Carrigan, the work that they do off the football is incredible,” Slater mentioned.
Slater additionally hailed the trouble of his skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, who produced one of many defensive highlights of the sport when he chased down Stephen Crichton after a breakaway.
But he was fast to deliver it again to what the workforce did in that scenario.
“Yeah, ‘want’ is a very under-utilised stat in our game and you could see the ‘want’ (from Cherry-Evans),” Slater mentioned.
“It was the reaction time, and he had to react quick because he’s not as fast as Stephen Crichton, so he had to get a head start.
“The effort he put in to not only get there, but to make the tackle … and then there was 12 Queenslanders behind him that backed him up.
“They were back there for the very next play and they defended the try line with their skipper.”
But defending is just half the job and you may inform by the best way he speaks how Slater encourages his males to not simply be courageous after they’re again up – however to be courageous with ball in hand.
“It’s courageous to play football under pressure. It’s courageous to use the football, to put your plays on,” he mentioned.
“We made some errors in the first half. Reece Walsh put a ball down and the first thing I said to him at halftime was ‘are you perfect?’. And he said ‘no’. I said ‘neither am I, so go and get that on again’.
“You want to get your footy on, you have to get your footy on. They’ve got so much toughness and courage to defend their tryline but you need to play football, you need to play to your strengths. I thought they did that really well in the second half.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au