Slater was injured and wouldn’t play Origin 1 at the MCG.

The bad news for NSW and coach Brad Fittler is that teenage sensation Kalyn Ponga has flown down to Melbourne.

But then Dane Gagai suffered a compound finger dislocation and threw another injury scare into the Maroon camp.

So exactly where Ponga will play has yet to be determined. Either way it will have Fittler and his baby Blues on edge.