“I do a lot of work with my wingers, making sure we’re in position,” says the veteran Billy Slater, who has clocked up over 300 NRL games for his beloved Melbourne Storm. “I demand them to be. I demand myself to be. If we’re doing that, we’re putting a lot of pressure on the kickers.

“The more times we can get to the ball on the full or as early as possible, it gives our team the best opportunity to start the set well. Especially in State of Origin, where the majority of the starts of sets come from kick returns. It’s just an integral part of the game.

“I’m in charge of the defence when I’m back there. You have to feel like you’re in charge. If you don’t, you’re probably not going to be talking to your players with the authority you need to. They’re really tired and they’re doing all the work in the middle.

“They need that firm direction to make sure they’re getting in the right position.

“They’re the things I really focus on; making sure I’m getting my defensive line in the right spot, and then chiming in to the defensive line when I need to. That’s probably the toughest role as a fullback, because you need to be able to work hard and get used to not getting a lot of reward.”

Originally published in Inside Sport magazine, September 2017 edition as “To Hell And Back”.