World's best halfback will not play Origin

All good mate. I'm pretty sure that the Golden Boot award is based on International test matches only. Cause the recent winners dating back to 2004 when Andy Farrell of Great Britain won it have been part of the Tri Nations / Four Nations. Where I think the award that DCE won might be based on the season that he played. So while you were 100% correct in what you were saying, I think that these are another set of awards given.

Cheers mate. You were right DCE did get that award. However I must have gotten myself confused. JT was named in the international team of the year http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/north-queensland-cowboys-and-kangaroos-halfback-johnathan-thurston-wins-2011-golden-boot/story-e6frf3ou-1226212637047

@adam; dude check out this ok. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daly_Cherry-Evans In there have a read and you will come across it. Also I read it in either the big league last year or the rugby league week. I am always reading those magazines to keep up with the latest goss. I'm pretty sure if you look deep enough you would find.

I'm confused you said DCE was voted worlds best. I simply pointed out it was Thurston. Have I missed something. I remember JT being named in the international team of the year as halfback not DCE. If I am wrong send a link

Why bring Hornby back into origin when he is past his use by date. What just because Soward is his partner. Mate if you were a selector, you would be shown the door asap. The idea that NSW needs to follow is simple. Find a regular 1,6,7 and 9. Stick with them through out the series instead of looking of the results asap and build your team around it. Look back at 06 when Qld blooded near half the team. Then every year look at how they have kept 70% of that team and players that have been brought in have been better then the previous player replaced. Qld had a plan and they stuck to it 100%. NSW are playing catch up and sadly if they follow Qlds plan they won't have success till 2013 at the earliest.

Yes Thurston won the Golden Boot award. While on tour, he was named by the Rugby League International Federation in its annual awards as the world's best half-back for 2011. That is where.

You missed my point Shaamus. Scott put a label to everything as the world greatest, to get more comments. This label is over dramatised on something that is clearly not true However in saying that he does get the reaction he is wants of getting people to comment, therefore a shock jock! As far as DCE and players like him (Duggan last year in fullback) they may be exceptional but we must bleed them in Origin This is the very reason why NSW are failing, they keep selecting the potential players and discarding them as not being up to it Take for example, finding a 1/2 back for NSW as Pearce is simply not up to it. I would prefer Ben Hornby at this stage as he is Mr Reliable and he partners with Jamie Soward in club football Once Jamie has found his feet in Origin then we can search for a new 1/2 back when Hornby retires It is silly when we had put two relative rookies with Soward and Pearce against the giants in Lockyear, Thurston and company

pipping Thurston by 1 vote.

When was he voted worlds best Halfback? Thurston was the halfback named in the team of the year and won the Golden Boot. Cronk won Halfback of the Year in the Dally M pipping Thurston by .

Ok here is my opinion. Cooper Cronk deserves the spot for QLD as he has done nothing wrong to not have the spot. He is a fantastic player and has a great combination with not only Slater and Smith but a good understanding of Thurston. As for Daly, he is a fantastic young player and if I was picking the team he would be my utility. I think to assume his 'greatness' this early would be like picking JT back when he started over Joey (had Joey been still playing rep) for a test match. These days some might argue you would pick JT over Joey (I am one of them), likewise we may have this debate with Cronk and DCE. I think in time DCE will become the preferred no 7 but at this stage Cronk has done nothing wrong and deserves the spot he otherwise would have owned had JT not been born. Prince would not even be a consideration for me as I have always thought he was well overrated and way too injury prone. Sandow to me hasn't done enough for Origin selection. He could easily go the way of someone like Hayne and have all the potential but only deliver spurts of brilliance. QLD need to continue consistency now that Lockyer has moved on and JT and Cronk are proven. DCE needs a year or two playing off the bench at Origin.

@ Charles: Mate DCE was voted world's best halfback last year when he was on tour with Kangaroos . That is why he is using this at the title. Get some sense mate.

Scott would make a great shock jock for radio. Using the title the worlds greatest gets him more comments Last year it was Duggan as the worlds greatest full back You say Scott that you are a NSW supporter yet you worry about the 1/2 back for QLD, who cares! You say Ricky Stuart was woeful as a NSW coach, I totally agree, he was pathetic! However we have to put up with him again, lets see if has improved He should have his team selected by now and if not he has no idea! It should be up to the players to prove that his thoughts are correct, barring injuries of course I have mine selected what about you Scott, do have world best half back for NSW or only for Qld?

My opinion. Cronk should get the nod over DCE. Reason for this is as ScottWoodward said "Cronk has the advantage of playing with champions Billy Slater and new Maroon skipper, Cam Smith, at club level" and that statement there justifies his selection. I am a huge fan of DCE and would love to see him play SOO but I think him playing off the bench would ease him into it. Queensland should be preparing as well. As Thurston is getting older and while Cronk isn't young, they have the perfect replacement ready. There is no harm in playing DCE off the bench. Keep in mind that for the past two years Queensland killed NSW when they had Lockyer, Thurston, Smith and Cronk on the field all at once. It gave them options. As for NSW and I support them, I can't see any hope for them. If Pearce is there best option then we have lost already. We only won game 2 last year by my favorite player Paul Gallen's effort. While SOO is still a few weeks away Ricky needs to keep a very close one on Campese, Mullen, Wallace, Pearce and Carney. I only see hope for these guys.Campese is a gifted 5/8, Mullen and Wallace have started the season in a decent form but as I said SOO is still weeks away and in this game, anything could happen at any time.

Cooper Cronk was the Dally M halfback of 2011 and was also selected to represented Australia and Queensland ... Daly Cherry-Evans was selected as part of the Australian 2011 squad and surprisingly enough, was named by the Rugby League International Federation in its annual awards as the world's best half-back ... IT'S ALL A MATTER OF OPINION I SUPPOSE ... However, I figure If Slater and Smith are selected for Queensland or Australia in the run on side, Cooper Cronk would be the obvious choice, especially if Greg Inglis is picked in the centres - You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out why ... Daly Cherry-Evans should be chosen on the bench, and I hope he is, he hails from up here in NQ where the names, Jackson, Bella, Shearer, Campion and Sailor are renowned in our league history ...

Skimming through the other comments it seems like others have already argued this point, but there is no "fact" that "remains" about Evans being the best halfback in the game. The guy is a great talent obviously, but it is your "opnion", not a "fact", that he is better than Cronk. The achievements of Evans last year are no better than what Cronk has consistently achieved over five years. Cronk is much more a dominant oragniser/playmaker than Evans (who shares primary ball-playing duties with Foran and the Stewarts), is much more experienced and is in a much more developed representative player. As you say the situation highlights the depth Queensland still have. Evans is a qualiy player who will likely end up eclipsing Cronk as a player, but he's not there yet.

Tim Smith, 41 try assists in his rookie season, makes DCE with his 19 look like a park footballer - Smith will definately be destined for greatness...... You make a good point re Cronk being a duel sided player unlike DCE (who may be, but isn't required to be).

Sorry not Dan Mortimer, I meant Tim Smith. Same club just forgot his name.

Big Mal has come out today saying that Cronk has done his time as understudy and his loyalty will be rewarded, but Cherry-Evans is very much on his radar. Seems pretty reasonable to me, but even without that reasoning, it makes more sense to preserve the Storm spine than to throw an unknown quantity in the middle of it. That said, as a NSW supporter, It'd be nice to have just one NSW halfback who could match it with the 3-4 blokes knocking at the door for the Queensland team.

You are getting hammered. That must tell you something. Also you forget that Kerian Foran runs the left side of Manly and DCE the right side. Cronk runs the team. Leading the field after 2 games. So are the Bulldogs. Rookie of the year. So was Dan Mortimer and other forgotton players. DCE is good but not the best. Will be intersting to see Manly when he and Foran get the pay they want (Obviously with salary cap other players will leave ie stewart brothers etc) and one of them is injured. They may slip down the ladder and he won't be so glorified. Just seen that you work for QLD to blitz NSW again.

Breath......Scott Prince??.....breath..... Depth, what depth??