'Turned on your skipper': Former NSW star Aaron Woods lashes 'grub' Billy Slater over Maroons selections
Aaron Woods has lit the fuse for State of Origin game two, unleashing an epic spray on live radio directed at Maroons coach Billy Slater.
The former NSW Blues front-rower went on the attack after Slater's decision to drop Daly Cherry-Evans from the side heading into the must-win clash in Perth.
The 36-year-old was left out of the Queensland squad and will be replaced at halfback by Tom Dearden, who came off the bench in the series opener.
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Daly Cherry-Evans has been axed. Getty
Reacting to the news on Tuesday morning, the recently-retired Woods - who played with Cherry-Evans at the Sea Eagles - was in disbelief at the bold selection call.
"Honestly, I cannot believe it ... this hasn't been done since Trevor Gillmeister in 1996," he said on Triple M's Breakfast With Beau and Woodsy.
"To me that's piss poor form from Billy Slater. After game one in your press conference you said it wasn't about personnel, you said you didn't play too well.
"You've come out and axed your captain Daly Cherry-Evans. You've said it wasn't a scapegoat, but mate it's a scapegoat. You're not used to getting hammered in the media. I think he did respond to backlash, the pressure and criticism got to Billy.
"He's lost three (games) in a row, which is unheard of for Queensland. Cherry-Evans should be there, I've heard his commentary around it that he got his chance in game one.
"There should be a lot of other players that should be moved on too, because you look at guys like Harry Grant — he's 0-6 starting at hooker.
"It's very hard to play behind a forward pack that's not going forward. You look at Mo Fotuaika, he had 39 metres in the first game."
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The omission of Cherry-Evans wasn't the only change to the side, with Beau Fermor also dropped and Kurt Capewell coming into the back-row spot, while Kurt Mann has been named to make his Origin debut off the bench.
With pressure mounting on Slater and the series on the line, Woods called the coach's character into question and believes the media scrutiny had taken its toll.
Billy Slater Getty
"You watch these blokes up north and they say we (New South Welshmen) don't get Origin and they use this pick and stick mentality - well Billy, you've just turned on your skipper," he said.
"I want to see the real Billy Slater come out — the grub that we know of. This is a bloke who kicked John Skandalis in the head and got a six-week suspension.
"Everyone wants to go 'oh he's such a nice bloke'.
"You've won your first two series as coach, you lost last series. There's a lot of pressure on Billy Slater. I watched his body language in the press conference and he's not a man that is confident in what he's doing at the moment."
