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Much has been made of Billy Slater's decision to axe Kalyn Ponga for Bronco fullback Reece Walsh, with the 20-year-old set to play in his first Origin match.

Slater stood by his call though.

“Have you seen Reece Walsh play?” he told reporters in Adelaide.

“He has got so much brilliance in his game and so much talent and involvement and speed.

“But he is building a great foundation of that position and that’s the core of what keeps you in good stead under pressure.

“I have loved working with him throughout the week. He is a great young man. He is very enthusiastic about his footy.

“He really enjoys his footy and he wants to become the best player that he can possibly be and I am looking forward to seeing him play out there in a Maroons jersey.”

Walsh has played 49 NRL games in his short career, scoring 15 tries, but has 4 in 11 appearances this season for the Broncos, with 13 try assists.

He runs for an average of 152 metres per match and, although he is prone to a handful of mistakes, Slater said that isn't a problem.

“We all make mistakes,” Slater said.

“I have made a few in my time. I’ll probably make a few in the future too.”

He'll be hoping the selection of Walsh is not one of them.

The Blues have already said they'll target the Broncos number one.

“We’re going to bomb the hell out of him,” Fittler told Channel 9.

“What else is there to do?

"He’s very talented. You watch what he’s done with Brisbane this year. He’s been great to watch.

“If we give him that much room he’ll embarrass us. We need to put him under pressure.”