David Fifita's omission from the Queensland squad for the State of Origin decider came as a surprise but coach Billy Slater has doubled down on previous reasons he gave for why the Gold Coast forward was overlooked.
Slater also said injury concerns played a role in St George Illawarra second-rower Jaydn Su'A being dropped from the 17 after the 38-18 loss in game two. Warriors veteran Kurt Capewell, who came off the bench in game two, has been promoted to the starting lineup for the July 17 showdown at Suncorp Stadium.
