Phil Gould discusses how the Bulldogs’ ‘niggler’ could aid Billy Slater’s Maroons in their game two resurgence

Queensland Maroons coach Billy Slater faces some challenging choices as he aims to keep his squad in the hunt for the State of Origin shield in 2025.

A commanding victory by the NSW Blues has marked the Maroons’ second consecutive defeat on home soil at Suncorp Stadium, with discipline being a significant issue.

After Queensland’s disappointing performance last season and the Blues currently leading 1-0 in the series, Phil Gould has highlighted a potential shift that could aid the Maroons in the second game.

Although there are calls regarding the future of seasoned halfback Daly Cherry-Evans with the Queensland side, Gould has underscored the contributions of Harry Grant.

Grant concluded the match with an impressive 86 per cent tackle efficiency and made five dummy half runs.

“Harry Grant has typically produced his best performances for Queensland when coming off the bench,” Gould remarked during an episode of Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus.

“Dearden made an impression when he came on, but can he handle being on the field for the initial 25 minutes, tackling 20 times while continuously having the ball run at him, and still bring that spark?”

“If I were in Queensland’s shoes, with Ben Hunt potentially unavailable, I’d consider bringing in Reed Mahoney to start the match. He could help settle the team and handle a lot of the groundwork early on.”

“He possesses a strong kicking game, which could be beneficial, and he has the ability to energise the forwards.”

“He’s an active defender who places significant pressure on opponents. Following that, having Harry come on when he’s fresh would be my first thought for a change.”

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Additionally, players like J’Maine Hopgood and Max Plath have been mentioned as possible options for a call-up for game two.

Gould, however, firmly believes that Mahoney should be the one to receive the call-up.

“While J’Maine Hopgood impresses with his work ethic, Reed Mahoney brings significantly more experience at the club level compared to the other two,” Gould explained.

“He’s been in the Origin camp previously, albeit without playing yet. He has a knack for getting under the skin of opponents, causing distractions and disrupting their game, which is part of his effectiveness.”

“If he can survive the initial stages of the match and allow Harry Grant to step in when fatigue sets in for others, then it would be advantageous for the team.”

“Harry had to take on far too much of the grind, which limited his ability to make the critical impact needed later in the game.”