Maroons call up Kumul Coates

Queensland sweating on Ponga, Fifita ruled out

PAPUA New Guinea international and Brisbane Broncos winger Xavier Coates has been named in a 15-man Maroons extended squad ahead of next month’s State of Origin series.
Four Gold Coast Titans players are named in the squad, the first time in Origin history that the National Rugby League club has contributed more players to Queensland than the Broncos.
Fullback AJ Brimson, winger Phil Sami, prop Moeaki Fotuaika, and lock Jai Arrow were named in the first 15 Maroons for the series, which starts on Nov 4.
Brisbane lock Patrick Carrigan, fresh from being named Brisbane’s joint player of the year, joins Coates as the only two Broncos in a squad which will be expanded to 27 after the Oct 25 grand final.
Nine players named in the squad are yet to play for the Maroons as coach Wayne Bennett prepares to field a side brimming with debutants, as he did in 2001 when he named 10 first-timers in game one of the series.
Cowboys veteran Josh McGuire and Broncos forward Joe Ofahengaue are the two high-profile omissions.
“We’ve got an exciting mix of both emerging and seasoned talent in the squad so far and we’re really pleased to be able to announce this group after what has been a challenging period for the game,” Bennett said yesterday.
“The players named in this squad will have a small window to freshen up before starting work with our high performance team to ensure they are in peak condition for the series.” Gold Coast-bound David Fifita, who is recovering from a syndesmosis injury, was ruled out of the series on Tuesday by the Titans’ medical staff.
Kalyn Ponga, Hymel Hunt and Edrick Lee have been named from the Knights but the Maroons are sweating on Ponga’s visit to a surgeon today where he will make a call on whether to undergo surgery on a labral tear.
Uncapped Dragons forward Josh Kerr and Wests Tigers rake Harry Grant have also got the nod. Cowboys star Valentine Holmes will miss game one due to suspension.
Queensland team manager Petero Civoniceva said the selection of the Titans quartet was deserved and reflected the strong finish to the season the club had to move into ninth spot on the ladder.
“That whole Gold Coast region has been such a great development pathway for a long time and a strong Titans further amplifies the level of talent that is available for Queensland,” Civoniceva said.
“Hats off to Justin Holbrook and his staff because you can see the belief and confidence there is in that Titans group. The players selected have been at the forefront of all that.
“To get those representative honours is a reflection of how they have played during the year and because the Titans finished the season so strongly it is a fitting reward.”
The players named yesterday are from sides that do not feature in the finals series.
None of the Queensland clubs made the top-eight this year with the Cowboys finishing in 14th position and the Broncos last, which affected their usual high representation in the Maroons squad. Injuries also played their part.
Kyle Feldt (groin), Michael Morgan (shoulder) and Anthony Milford (hamstring) were not considered due to injury.
Brisbane winger Corey Oates, a mainstay of recent Origin campaigns, has been left out of the squad on medical grounds after missing two months of football to recover from a severe leg gash.
Earlier in pre-season, he also spent nine days in hospital on a drip after a staph infection in his leg.
Fotuaika, who only recently committed to the Maroons, and Brimson are expected to contend for spots in the 17 for the Origin opener.
“It is great to see the football the Titans have been playing recently but Moe was at the forefront even before that,” Civoniceva said.
“He leads from the front and we definitely need that in the Queensland side this year and into the future.
“With guys like Matt Scott retired now it is great to see this new generation of forwards coming through and Moe is definitely at the front of the line.
“I was lucky to spend a bit of time with AJ in last year’s campaign when he was in the extended squad and he is a fantastic young bloke and a great talent.”
Bennett also confirmed a new addition to his support team, with former Cowboys and Titans coach Neil Henry returning to work as an assistant coach with the Maroons. He replaces Justin Hodges. Queensland: Jai Arrow (Gold Coast Titans), AJ Brimson (Gold Coast Titans), Moeaki Fotuaika (Gold Coast Titans), Phillip Sami (Gold Coast Titans), Edrick Lee (Newcastle Knights), Hymel Hunt (Newcastle Knights), Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights), Valentine Holmes (North Queensland Cowboys), Coen Hess (North Queensland Cowboys), Xavier Coates (Brisbane Broncos), Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos), Ben Hunt (St George Illawarra Dragons), Josh Kerr (St George Illawarra Dragons), Harry Grant (Wests Tigers / Melbourne Storm), Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles). – NRL