Queensland coach Kevin Walters has backed Dane Gagai to overcome a serious finger injury and play Wednesday’s State of Origin opener in Melbourne, saying they would have to “cut his hand off” to stop the winger.
In another major blow to the Maroons, Gagai suffered a compound dislocation at their match-eve training session at the MCG on Tuesday.
The injury usually sidelines a player for up to a month.
But Walters believed Gagai – last year’s Wally Lewis Medal winner as player of the Origin series – would provide some relief for the depleted Maroons and run out on Wednesday.
“He has to undergo scans but even if they find something it will be pretty hard to stop Dane from playing,” Walters said.
“We might have to cut his hand off or something because he wants to play.
“But we expect him to play. He came back out to train with us and finished the session which is a positive.”
Walters also confirmed Michael Morgan would play at fullback in place of the injured Billy Slater with Anthony Milford taking his spot on the bench.
In some good news, Walters gave the all clear to their other injury concerns, halfback Ben Hunt (thigh) and lock Josh McGuire (ankle).
But Walters admitted he had never experienced such a horror week as a coach but believed the team would rally around new skipper Greg Inglis.
Queensland had already lost 29-Origin fullback Slater, who made a shock withdrawal on Monday with a hamstring injury.
It is a nightmare start to life without retired Maroons greats Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk.
Brisbane’s Milford and Newcastle’s 20-year-old Kalyn Ponga flew into Maroons camp on Monday night as cover after Slater’s withdrawal.
Milford will feature on the bench after playing his sole Origin last year in the halves.
“I have faith in Milf. He can do things on the footy field that not many can – at this level that is important,” Walters said of Milford.
Ponga, who has played just 22 NRL games, was a chance to make his Origin debut at fullback before Walters opted for North Queensland’s Morgan who will play his 10th Origin.
“It’s just from the experience side of things,” Walters said.
“I think it would be putting a lot of pressure on him (Ponga) at this level to play with a limited preparation and Morgs has been our Mr Fixit for a few years.”
Morgan played seven games off the Maroons bench before making his starting debut in the centres in game three last year.
Ponga had been set to make his Origin debut next year after Slater announced before game one that he would retire from representative football following the 2018 Origin series.
However, Ponga’s Origin career appears to have been fast tracked by the Maroons’ unprecedented injury list.
Slater was present at the training session along with former skipper Cameron Smith.