The Daily Telegraph broke the news the 34-year-old had been scratched, leaving the Maroons scrambling for a replacement at fullback. The publication reports Michael Morgan — originally named on the bench to fill the utility role — will move to fullback while Newcastle young gun Kalyn Ponga will come into the 17-man squad.

However, the Courier Mail is suggesting captain Greg Inglis may replace Slater at fullback and Morgan will slot into the centres.

The Maroons outfit has already lost dozens of games of experience after the Origin retirements of veteran trio Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk. Slater will now have a maximum two games left in his Origin career after announcing his representative retirement last week.

Slater’s absence leaves Queensland with an incredibly green spine. Five-eighth Cameron Munster debuted last year, halfback Ben Hunt has only played one game for the Maroons off the bench and hooker Andrew McCullough is playing his first Origin at the MCG.

The reports of Morgan taking the No. 1 jersey and Ponga going to the bench or Inglis filling the void left by Slater mean coach Kevin Walters will opt against adding some more experience into the mix by reinstating Broncos custodian Darius Boyd at fullback after he was controversially overlooked for the series opener.

An out-of-sorts Morgan was shifted from pivot to fullback by the Cowboys in a bid to regain his Midas touch.

Morgan joked that he may not even have his Cowboys fullback gig when he returns from Maroons camp after fill-in No.1 Lachlan Coote helped inspire North Queensland’s NRL win over Manly on Thursday.

“I thought Cootey had a pretty good game the other night. Actually Greeny (Cowboys coach Paul Green) rang me up after the game and said ‘no rush back fellas, good luck on Wednesday’,” Morgan laughed.

“Who knows, I might go back to the (Cowboys feeder side Townsville) Blackhawks.”

Instead of taking over the Maroons No.7 jersey, Morgan had been relegated back to the bench utility role he first filled in his 2015 Origin debut.

Morgan was expecting to make his eighth bench appearance in his ninth Origin on Wednesday after his sole Maroons start in game three last year in the centres.

While disappointed to have missed a rare chance to nail down a Maroons halves start, Morgan was convinced his Queensland stint could catapult him back to his 2017 form.

“I wanted to come in with a fresh mindset, leave what happened at clubland there for a little while, enjoy the week here and that is what I have done,” Morgan said.

— with AAP