By Wayne Heming

Queensland coach Billy Slater has approved several changes to his side for the State of Origin home series decider on Wednesday week turning to Newcastle’s Kalyn Ponga to provide the x-factor off a reshuffled interchange bench.

In total, Slater has made six changes to the team which was manhandled 38-18 at the MCG last month, including replacing his two injured wingers Xavier Coates and Murray Taulagi.

Slater said before the 2024 series there was a chance he could pick both Reece Walsh and Ponga in the same side and he has done just that as the Maroons chase an Origin series hat-trick at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium.

Newcastle captain, Ponga displayed flashes of the form on the weekend in his comeback from injury that made him Queensland’s first-choice fullback before the 2023 when the brilliant Walsh took over as Slater’s preferred custodian.

With Melbourne Storm winger Coates (hamstring) ruled out, Selwyn Cobbo gets a start along with veteran centre Dane Gagai, who will play his 23rd Origin in the centres alongside the electrifying Dolphin, Hamiso Tabui-Fidow.

Valentine Holmes shifts out on the wing for the injured Taulagi.

Bullocking forward Jadyn Su’a has been dropped with utility Kurt Capewell returning to the starting 13 after coming off the bench in the Melbourne loss.

Nambour-born Reed Mahoney has been drafted into the squad as Queensland’s 20^th man at the age of 26 after 142 games for Parramatta and the Bulldogs.

Queensland need to turn around a big loss in Melbourne but they will have a sell-out crowd in their corner and an intimidating record of having won 8 of the last 9 series Origin deciders against the Blues.

Queensland have 10 players in their team who were part of the game three Origin win in 22 – Kalyn Ponga, Selwyn Cobbo, Valentine Holmes, Dane Gagai, Tom Dearden, Jeremiah Nanai, Kurt Capewell, Patrick Carrigan, Ben Hunt, and skipper Daly Cherry-Evans.