Leading into Game 2 of the State of Origin series, at Suncorp Stadium next Sunday night, I am confident changes will be made to both teams.
For the Blues, I’m expecting Angus Crichton to come back in. But who for?
The obvious answer may be Liam Martin, but my preference would be for the Rooster to replace Jack Wighton.
Wighton played few minutes last Wednesday night and even without the Daly M medallist, NSW have the talent in their backline to cover any injuries that might occur during the game, even in the halves.
But for Queensland, are wholesale changes needed?
Josh Papalii will play Game 2, with whispers Kalyn Ponga will too. Given how dominant the Blues centres of Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell were, does Queensland need to pick some specialist centres, rather than picking players out of position and hoping for the best?
Kurt Capewell (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Unfortunately for the Maroons, their centre stocks are low. They may have choices, but none of the players available are of the ilk of Mitchell or Trbojevic. That lack of depth may give someone like Tom Opacic the opportunity to make his debut and, unfortunately, line up opposite one of the best centres in the game.
But are the problems deeper and more fundamental for Queensland?
Daly Cherry-Evans and Dane Gagai are their two most experienced players, the former with 14 games and the latter 11. Compare that to Scott Prince, who only played five games, or Matt Bowen, who managed ten.
The problem is that neither player played like they had that much experience last week, and in the case of Cherry-Evans it caps off what has been a fairly unremarkable Origin career.
He is the captain of the team and their chief playmaker, yet in his interstate career he has only set up four tries.
In the Origin arena, he tends to play with trepidation and lacks confidence. On Wednesday night he took the wrong option several times, didn’t have the confidence to throw the cut-out pass when the option was there, and when Cameron Munster was struggling with his kicking game, Cherry-Evans failed to take the pressure off by taking over.
Daly Cherry-Evans (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Now don’t get me wrong, just because Cherry-Evans hasn’t stepped up at Origin level, it doesn’t mean I blame him solely for Queensland’s woes.
The best player in Paul Green’s side was Moeaki Fotuaika, while Harry Grant also tried hard but had some defensive lapses. The rest were average.
But as captain, halfback and one of the most experienced players, it’s only natural for Cherry-Evans to be in the spotlight. More was needed from him.
Cherry-Evans is an exceptionally gifted halfback, particularly at club level. He demonstrated that on Friday night in Manly’s 50-18 thumping of the Cowboys, with three try assists, nine tackle-breaks and running over 130 metres.
I want to see him replicate this club form at Origin level. But I’m not sure whether he can.
In that vein, Cherry-Evans is a bit like Mitchell Pearce.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Pearce has played 18 games for the Blues. He lost 13 games and won five, leaving him with a winning record of 28 per cent, yet NSW insisted on consistently picking him.
Both Pearce and Cherry-Evans are very good club halfbacks. But I wonder whether either player could successfully make the step up that Origin requires.
While Pearce is no longer in contention, it seems the Maroons will persist with Cherry-Evans.
My big question is, should the Blues have a dominant win in Game 2, will Cherry-Evans’ Australian jersey be under threat?
Nathan Cleary is the in-form halfback and will no doubt be pushing to don the green and gold at the end of the year should the World Cup go ahead.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Daly Cherry-Evans recently spoke about his career in an article which you can read in full over on AthletesVoice.
Catherine Brown
Guest
When you start making excuses for DCE it clearly shows he ISN’T the best Queensland has. Pointless or not comparisons are going to be made and DCE comes up short.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
The same rules should be used but points are allocated in the rounds for win, loss or draw but the finals need a winner so there is extra time. I dislike Golden Point and think it should only occur in finals games after extra time of 5 minutes each way. I would also like to see a new points system in the rounds :- 1.Four points for a win. 2. Three points for a Golden Point win. 3. Two points for a draw after Golden Point. 4. One point for a Golden Point loss. 5. Zero points for a loss.
Mel Storm
Guest
Yes it is a contentious rule but the GF should be played to the same rules as the rest of the season for consistency. Hunt dropped the ball on the most important play of his career. Good player but way overrated and way overpaid.
Billy Goat
Guest
Possibly but that wasn't the premise of the article. What if Qld have a big win? Will Cleary be compared Pearce?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I just reread it so I see your point that it was an unfair comparison. But Mary did end with :- "My big question is, should the Blues have a dominant win in Game 2, will Cherry-Evans’ Australian jersey be under threat?" What do you think Billy?
Josh H
Roar Rookie
You can't lead the team as a halfback when you're getting busted up the middle and your forward pack is being entirely dominated
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Papalii will come in for Ofahengaue, and as for Horsburgh, both Wallace and Molo were in better form than him
The Barry
Roar Guru
He IS the best Queensland has to offer. Who’s better? DCE isn’t JT or Lockyer and comparing someone to the greatest player’s ever to play the position is pretty pointless. May as well say if they had Big Artie at prop instead of Tino he would have offloaded them back into the game Besides which JT and Lockyer have lost games at every level when their pack hasn’t dominated. Lockyer spent the first half of his Origin career not kicking Queensland back into games
Catherine Brown
Guest
DCE is supposed to be the best Queensland has to offer. The team but got carved up yes BUT the 7 and captain is supposed to lead the team. Lockyer and JT would have kicked the team back into the game. DCE just looked stunned and had no answer.
Billy Goat
Guest
Great logic, was Pearce captain ever?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Was Cherry-Evans captain in the 50-6 loss to NSW?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
You can't be serious. It was close but if the Broncos had stopped the Cowboys scoring the try they would've been premiers. They were lucky that the great Johnathon Thurston missed the conversion but the grand final, being such an important game, should never have been allowed to be settled by the ridiculous Golden Point. It's bad enough that it is used in the rounds to quash a valid result but a drawn grand final or any drawn finals game should have at least 5 minutes each way extra time. The grand final was ruined by Golden Point and you should blame the NRL not Ben Hunt.
IGOR11
Roar Rookie
All playmakers play poorly when their forwards are getting dominated...let’s take origin for example...QLD had an awesome side for 10-12 years...wow...didn’t Thurston dominate...yes he did...I wouldn’t say he dominate the same at club level where the cows had an average forward pack???...not comparing DCE with JT...I’m saying forward strength helps...and playmakers are reliant on that for their own game...
IGOR11
Roar Rookie
You must have missed the 2020 origin series pal???
Mel Storm
Guest
No, Mary, he is not. Queensland's version of Mitchell Pearce is Ben - here you go NQ, you're 1st premiership - Hunt! He also lost Qld the 2019 series. He is not a big match player.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
I think a lot of that blame from Sea Eagles fans comes from unrealistically expecting @ 1.2m a year to produce the goods even when the other top players in the squad are out. With so much money tied up in DCE and he Turbo brothers you only need one to be out for a long period and a big chunk of your cap is off the park. Newcastle is exactly the same. Ponga and Pearce are on big bucks and they need both to be on the field to be a consistent top 4/8 team. With both out they aren’t even close to a top8 team.
Bearfax
Roar Guru
DCE has had the misfortune of taking over the half back role for Queensland when their top players of the past were retiring and those replacing them have not been of the same standard. One player does not make up a team. Munster is a class act and yet he is struggling at this level of late for the same reason. Its like the Sea Eagles in past five years when their backline was second rate. DCE coped the blame, even from Sea Eagle supporters, mainly because he was the target of opposition teams knowing he was the only serious attacking option when Turbo and Walker were absent (which was often). Now Manly has some speed and clever players on the rise in the backline especially, DCE is thriving. Same applies to any one player. Personally I felt sorry for Pearce because he received a lot of bad press and was blamed when the team just wasn't up to scratch for NSW. Now NSW has star players especially in their backline, Cleary (who also benefits from a strong Panthers side) looks top class, but he's lucky that he has a top side to back him up in both the Panthers and NSW. He would be struggling just as much as Pearce and DCE if he was playing for a side that didn't have the troops. DCE is a class player and with the right players backing him he would look the champion. Easy to heap blame on one player when the rest of the team is not up to the challenge.
Billy Goat
Guest
Unfair comparison. Pearce never played for Australia or captained his state to a series victory. Cherry Evans is also a cleanskin off the field.
Crow
Roar Pro
He goes good
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
Are we just heading into a period of DCE is the best option, he is a fine player. Remember the dark years for NSW when JT and companies replacements were lauded as the next best thing, Taylor, Milford and Norman. I think these two were the best options at their times and the difference was and is the cattle around them :thumbup: