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Matt Gillett to learn Origin fate on Tuesday

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8th July, 2019
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Queensland skipper Daly Cherry-Evans says Matt Gillett won’t find out if he is playing in the State of Origin series decider in Sydney until the captain’s run on Tuesday.

Back-rower Gillett is battling a groin injury which he suffered on Friday but was not revealed by the Maroons until Sunday.
The 20-game veteran was rested from Sunday’s opposed session as he undergoes treatment.

“I honestly don’t know (if Gillett is playing) but he has been working flat out with the physio team,” Cherry-Evans said.

“He will give himself every chance to play. I am pretty sure he will be training tomorrow (captain’s run); we will find out where he is at then.”

Teenager David Fifita is set to come off the bench and start in the back row with debutant Ethan Lowe slotted onto the interchange if Gillett is ruled out.

“It’s one of those ones where being the player that he is you give him every chance and see what happens,” Cherry-Evans said of Gillett.
“If he doesn’t play we are obviously going to miss him but it is a hypothetical, we just don’t know yet.

“But regardless of who plays there is a lot of motivation for this side to win.”

Cherry-Evans said the Maroons’ disrupted preparation had only steeled them as they look to seal their 12th series win since 2006.

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The Queensland captain said they would be revelling in the underdogs tag and taking comfort from the fact they have won the past two Sydney deciders – in 2008 and 2013.

Cherry-Evans featured in the 2013 decider.

“It has been done before. I have been involved in one of those and it is bloody hard work, it takes a full 80-minute performance to get that job done,” Cherry-Evans said.

“But I am understanding and reassuring the boys that this is not impossible.

“That is the mindset we need, that this is not too big for us.”

Overall the Maroons have claimed the past seven series’ deciders.

The Blues haven’t won a decisive game three since 2005.

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Cherry-Evans couldn’t confirm that bench utility Moses Mbye and centre Michael Morgan would swap roles on Wednesday.

Mbye has been training at left centre all camp as North Queensland captain Morgan recovers from a concussion suffered in the last NRL round.

“We will see how we line up on Wednesday but regardless of who is out there we are confident, motivation will not be missing,” he said.

© AAP

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