EXCLUSIVE: Darren Lockyer lifts lid on 'longest ever' Maroons selection meeting that made huge Origin calls

Queensland selector Darren Lockyer has lifted the lid on the "longest ever" selection meeting that led to a number of surprise Maroons picks.

Lockyer was on a conference call with head coach Billy Slater and fellow selector Gene Miles until late on Sunday night as they tried to nail down a starting 17 that might be able to win next week's State of Origin decider in Sydney.

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The team announced on Monday morning surprised pretty much everyone else in rugby league, with Gehamat Shibasaki bolting into the backline and Josh Papali'i being called out of representative retirement to line up at prop.

Lockyer explained both gun fullback Reece Walsh and prolific winger Murray Taulagi were well and truly in contention before ultimately being rubbed out during the selection process, which QLDER host Adam Jackson described as the "longest ever".

Lockyer didn't disagree that it dragged on for hours.

"This particular selection meeting was late on Sunday night because you've got to wait for the fitness of all the players who are in contention," he told Wide World of Sports' QLDER.

"We were obviously looking at Murray Taulagi to play on the wing, but his body is not in great shape at the moment, so we had to get a bit of a pulse check on him.

"We had a few different scenarios in play... after a good hour's conversation on the phone and then coming back and reconvening after an hour of thinking about things, that was in the end what we came up with.

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"Obviously it is mostly driven by Billy, he's got to be comfortable, and he is very diligent."

Shibasaki was a bolt from the blue, having only resurrected his fallen NRL career with the Broncos this season after joining them on a train-and-trial deal.

Papali'i retired from the Origin arena several years ago and so his selection was equally surprising.

But the pick that had most pundits confused was the snub of Brisbane fullback Walsh, who was considered a shoo-in for the No.1 jumper following an injury to Kalyn Ponga on Friday night.

Instead the selectors opted to move Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback, bring Shibasaki in at centre and shift Val Holmes to the wing.

"It's always tough when you've got someone like Reece Walsh and the talent he possesses, to not have him in the 17," Lockyer said.

"I think his game is still building, I don't think he is at his peak yet. There are a couple of things in his own game he would like to be doing better.

"Billy had a PCL injury, so he knows what they are like, and I think when you watch Reece playing you can tell he's still a bit restricted by it.

"Reece still isn't in peak condition... but he is building towards that."

The Maroons certainly don't lose much by putting Tabuai-Fidow to fullback.

The Dolphins fullback was unstoppable on Saturday as he tore South Sydney to shreds, and selectors want him to do the same for Queensland.

"I think the other side to that is Hammer (Tabuai-Fidow) and trying to get him involved in the game, and fullback allows him to be wherever he wants to be and get involved," Lockyer said.

"If the conditions are dry... and those players like Harry Grant, Tom Dearden, and Cameron Munster can get a bit of momentum, then Hammer, you don't need to leave him much space to get him into the game.

"You've got to get him involved. Obviously game one he didn't see a lot of the ball; game two the conditions weren't great so he didn't see a lot of ball then.

"You saw the other night... in and around the ball, getting an opportunity is where he's a threat, he scored four tries."

The Origin series sits at 1-1 and the teams head to Sydney's Accor Stadium next Wednesday to decide who takes home the shield.