Queensland coach Billy Slater has been "pleasantly surprised" to see new sides of Sam Walker during State of Origin camp for his hotly-anticipated debut.
The circumstances of a first Origin game are rarely more challenging than those facing the Sydney Roosters star in Origin I at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night.
Walker will start in the coveted halfback jersey in front of a hostile Sydney crowd, doing so in place of reigning player of the series Tom Dearden.
