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In his first act as Queensland coach, Billy Slater marched his side down Caxton Street to be met by Maroons great Wally Lewis, who delivered a rousing address.

The Billy Slater era has begun in rousing style at Suncorp Stadium, with the confident rookie coach calling on a Maroons great to stir his new-look squad that gathered in Brisbane.

The champion No.1 on Monday named four debutants in an exciting Maroons team to face NSW in the State of Origin series opener in Sydney on June 8.

His own debut as coach will be boosted by the addition of former teammates Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston to his staff, reuniting a star trio who helped Queensland to eight-straight and 11 of 12 titles between 2006-17.

But it was another Maroons legend who set the tone on Monday, with Wally Lewis delivering a rousing address to the squad in front of his statue outside Suncorp Stadium.

Lewis reflected on his Origin debut as a 20-year-old, when Arthur Beetson tapped him on the shoulder in a show of trust he offered the current crop.

"To be greeted by Wally after Billy has spoken to us - you can just feel that passion and that pride," fullback Kalyn Ponga said.

"It's pretty cool. It's exciting. That's the part about this week that I want to make sure I take in as much as I can. All those little moments."

The Blues have won three of four series since Queensland's own golden run ended, including last year in historically dominant fashion in Paul Green's sole campaign as Maroons coach.

But there will be no underdog chatter out of Slater's camp, despite the one-sided nature of a 2021 series played exclusively in Queensland.

"I don't care about that (underdog tag); I never once stepped on an Origin field feeling like the other team was better than us and we won't be starting now," the 31-game Origin veteran said.

"People have asked me what sort of coach I'll be. I don't know (yet).

"This is new to me; I'm going to make mistakes, just like the players.

"But I'll make them with good intentions and give every bit of myself to this."

Former Maroons coach Kevin Walters never referenced the NSW Blues by their title and ensured no blue Powerade found its way into their sheds.

Slater tried to insist he wouldn't entertain the same quirks.

"I never drunk blue Powerade when I was playing ... but I try not to be superstitious. If I found I was, I'd go the other way so it wouldn't play with my head," he said.

"But it's important we respect our opposition. We'll be doing our homework to know what we're up against."