The green light has been given to Queensland injury concern Ben Hunt but it is the Maroons’ other inexperienced half that has NSW on high alert ahead of Wednesday’s State of Origin opener in Melbourne.
Halfback Hunt had until Sunday to prove his fitness but dismissed any concerns over a corked thigh that had limited him at Queensland’s Gold Coast camp by training strongly with the Maroons’ other fitness worries Billy Slater (hamstring) and Josh McGuire (ankle).
However, NSW great Andrew Johns believed Hunt’s halves partner Cameron Munster was the man to fear.
The Maroons appear vulnerable before Origin I as they begin a new chapter without retired greats Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston.
And after Queensland selectors also overlooked veterans Matt Scott and Darius Boyd, the Maroons team is without a total of 151 Origin games’ worth of experience.
But Johns believed alarm bells should be ringing for NSW, even with Munster in just his second game as Queensland five-eighth.
After Munster made one of the great Origin debuts in game three last year, Immortal Johns feared the Melbourne half was now the man to take over from their retired Maroons greats and “own the moment” in game one.
“Munster, he’s the one I’ll be worried about. Because it comes down to big moments,” Johns told Nine Network’s Sunday Footy Show.
“In those big moments he’ll say ‘give me the ball I’m going to win the game’.”
Johns said he knew Munster was the real deal after his first touch in Queensland’s game three win that sealed an 11th series win in 12 years.
“He’s a running five-eighth. Look at that strength, look at that right-hand fend,” Johns said.
“He debuted last year and got man of the match. It just goes to show what a player he is.
“His first touch in Origin, he got the ball, dummied and nearly shimmied through on the second play of the game. It just goes to show the strength.
“And his mentality … he doesn’t care if he makes an error. That’s what makes him such a dangerous player.”
Hunt impressed in Queensland’s opposed session against the Maroons under-18 side at the Gold Coast on Sunday.
The St George Illawarra playmaker admitted to some anxious moments as he raced the clock to make his Maroons No.7 debut but said he was “ready to go”.
“At the start of the week you are a bit nervous, the physios are holding you back but the more the week went on the better I felt,” Hunt said.
“I had a full contact session and I got through that fine – I am ready to go.”
After making his Origin debut off the bench in game three last year, Hunt hoped to lock in a long term Maroons halves combination with Munster.
“I want to do my best to play well to start with and hopefully cement my spot for the future,” he said.
“We had time together in the World Cup squad and we know each other pretty well – the more I can get him (Munster) the ball the better he will be.”
Queensland held their final session at their Gold Coast camp on Sunday before flying to Melbourne on Monday.
