Billy Slater admits Jeremiah Nanai has put his name up in lights for a Queensland return as the coach considers his contingency plan for inevitable State of Origin "chaos" in Brisbane.
Slater and his selection panel will finalise their Maroons squad on Sunday night for Origin II at Suncorp Stadium on June 21, with injuries to forwards Tom Gilbert (shoulder) and Jai Arrow (ankle) to force at least two changes.
Slater told AAP there were at least seven players in the mix to replace them in the team that beat NSW 26-18 in Adelaide's series opener.
Dolphins veteran Felise Kaufusi, North Queensland excitement machine Nanai and Brisbane's Kurt Capewell are specialist back-rowers under consideration.
Canberra's versatile and in-form Corey Horsburgh, who can play on an edge or in the middle, is also in the frame along with middles J'maine Hopgood (Parramatta), Moeaki Fotuaika (Gold Coast) and Christian Welch (Melbourne).
Kaufusi has not played since round 12 and has missed seven weeks of action this year through suspension.
Nanai, who can slot into the centres if required, played in all three games of the 2022 Origin series and returned from a four-week suspension with a bang in the Cowboys’ 45-20 win over Melbourne a week ago.
The 20-year-old recently told AAP it was a call from Slater that sparked the form that has him firmly in the conversation for a recall.
"We'll look at that," Slater told Channel Nine on Sunday of Nanai.
"He played with a whole heap of energy against the Melbourne Storm ... it looks like he's done a fair bit of work in that month off."
But Slater said it wasn't as simple as picking the player in the best form.
“You have to think about the whole balance of the team and contingency plans if things happen out of your control,” the coach told AAP last week.
Slater has already experienced his share of adversity in four games at the helm.
Multiple injuries in the past two series openers forced drastic in-game adjustments to the Maroons' edges while two concussions in the opening minutes of last year's decider also prompted Slater to get creative.
“There was chaos ... there is much more to it than throwing a guy in because he's playing well," he said.
Slater said he had admired Horsburgh’s output and ability to play as a middle forward or on an edge.
The Raiders' cult hero was one of his side’s best in a badly beaten outfit against the Warriors on Friday, running for 126m and making 52 tackles.
“I think his best position is in the middle of the field but he’s also shown his versatility to play on an edge," Slater said.
“There are a number of players that haven’t played for Queensland this year that are certainly capable of it, and he is a big one of them.
"You get to that point on Sunday night where you put everything on the table and go, ‘What is best for Queensland and who is best positioned where?',’”
