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Darius Boyd exclusive column: Why my Queensland dumping was different to Billy Slater’s
June 4, 2018
WHEN I saw Kevvy Walters’ number flash up on my phone I knew what was coming.
I’ve been around for long enough to have a pretty good idea when my form’s good enough and when it isn’t and the fact is I just haven’t played good enough football for long enough this season to be worthy of a Queensland jersey.
That wouldn’t have always been the case. There have been other years when we haven’t had so many talented backs knocking on the door but the competition for spots in the Maroons backline this year is ridiculous.
I said to Kevvy on the phone that I would have made the same decision. If I was the selector and it came down to a call between me and Valentine Holmes I would have gone for Val.
That doesn’t make it any less disappointing. I’ve loved my time in the Queensland side and I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved at Origin level.
Will I ever play another game for the Maroons? I don’t know. I’d like to say yes but I’m a realist and I feel like I’m a different case to Billy Slater.
When Billy missed out in Game One last year he was playing really, really good footy.
I was as surprised as anyone when he didn’t get picked and I think he showed when he got back in that he deserved to be there and the selectors had probably made the wrong call.
I’m in a different boat this year. I suppose you can make the comparison because we’re both coming back from injuries but if I was to blame my performances in 2018 on my hamstring issues it would be a bit of a poor excuse.
There’s no doubt I had to ease myself back into it at the start of the season because I didn’t play any trials and the hamstrings still weren’t quite right.
But that’s a long way behind me now and I feel pretty good physically. My form issues have been more a mental thing, just having trust that my body can still do it and being clear minded and present when I go out onto the field.
I feel like I’ve played my best footy for the year over the past month so hopefully I’ve put a really challenging time behind me and I have a really strong second half of the season.
That’s my main focus right now, not getting back into the Queensland side.
I guess if I don’t get back to playing really good footy there won’t be much point in worrying about playing for the Maroons again because it won’t happen.
I want to clarify that I haven’t given up. I haven’t retired from representative football or anything like that.
I just don’t think a comparison to where Billy was at last year is quite right because of my form.
For me, it’s more about myself, getting back to my standards and being happy and proud of the way I’m playing again.
If I play to the ability I’m capable of I’ll be happy to put my hand up to play for Queensland again and you never know, that opportunity might come next year with Billy moving into retirement.
It’s been surreal to see these champions like Billy and Cam and JT and Cooper all announce their retirement after incredible careers and it’s going to be pretty cool to look back at my career and say that I played with some of the champions of the game.
I wasn’t surprised Billy made the announcement because he turns 35 this year and he’s got nothing left to prove.
To be playing at the highest level at that age is pretty remarkable and to come back after his shoulders and get straight back in to the Queensland and Australia side and in my opinion play as good a footy as ever, I think that’s probably been enough for him.
He’s got to that level, he’s come back to the highest level, he won the Clive Churchill last year, he’s basically done it all three times over.
It was pretty nice of him to name me as a possible replacement for him in the side next year but we’ve played a lot of footy together so we’ve got that mutual respect for each other.
It’s definitely a new era for Queensland now but I don’t see it being the difficult transition that a lot of people are expecting.
It’s not like NSW have picked a side full of seasoned Origin players who have been there and done it, they’ve basically picked a new team so it’s like going back to square one.
I see this year as a really important series because Origin is new to both teams.
Whoever plays the best and takes the series out, you could see them kicking on and having a bit of a run of a couple in a row.
Whether that’s a Maroons side with me in it or not, I’ll have no regrets. Playing for Queensland has been a brilliant ride and I’m really proud of everything I have achieved.
Source: Fox Sports
