Queensland’s State of Origin Game 1 team announced

Queensland coach Kevin Walters has today named two new faces in the Maroons side for the opening match of the 2017 Holden State of Origin series.

The 18 man squad, which included origin debut players Dylan Napa and Anthony Milford, was revealed at a function in Brisbane on Monday.

“Roosters prop Dylan Napa and Broncos five-eighth Anthony Milford have both been selected in the starting 17 for the May 31 match at Suncorp Stadium,” QRL media said in a statement.

“A member of the QAS Emerging Origin squad, Napa gets his opportunity to step up following Matt Scott’s season-ending knee injury. ”

Walters says Thurston, who is suffering a shoulder injury, will still travel to Brisbane and will be assessed by the Maroons medical team at the start of Origin camp.

If deemed unfit, Anthony Milford is likely to step up at five-eighth.

“With star playmaker Johnathan Thurston highly unlikely to be fit due to a shoulder injury, coach Kevin Walters is backing Anthony Milford to step up at five-eighth,” QRL media said.

Storm star Billy Slater was overlooked for game 1 because of problems with his second shoulder reconstruction, with an emotional Kevin Walters admitting it was an agonising decision to make.

Maroons Game 1 Team:

1 Darius Boyd

2 Corey Oates

3 Will Chambers

4 Justin O’Neill

5 Dane Gagai

6 Anthony Milford

7 Cooper Cronk

8 Dylan Napa

9 Cameron Smith (c)

10 Nate Myles

11 Josh Papalii

12 Matt Gillett

13 Josh McGuire

14 Michael Morgan

15 Sam Thaiday

16 Aidan Guerra

17 Jacob Lillyman

18th man: Johnathan Thurston

The @QLDmaroons team has been named for #Origin 1 at @suncorpstadium!
#NRL pic.twitter.com/jqpQ4DTGAr

— NRL (@NRL) May 22, 2017