MANLY’S in-form Daly Cherry-Evans has missed the boat again with Brisbane halfback Ben Hunt completing a stunning comeback from park footballer to Queensland Origin utility in Wednesday week’s series’ decider at Suncorp Stadium.

While most tipsters had Cherry-Evans pencilled in to replace promoted Cowboy Michael Morgan on the bench, Hunt has turned his form around after being sensationally dumped last month by his Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett for not running the football enough.

It will be a bitter pill for Cherry-Evans to swallow given his outstanding form for Manly as they have strung together a series of good wins on the back of his masterful all-round game.

Maroons officials have flatly denied the Manly playmaker is “on the nose”, but his repeated omissions suggest there is a not a lot more he can do to change the Queensland selectors’ minds.

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Dragons-bound Hunt, who played a similar role for Australia in the 2014 Four Nations series, has been handed his Origin debut with the best of three series locked up at one game apiece.

Hunt got the nod narrowly because selectors Gene Miles, Darren Lockyer and coach Kevin Walters believe he is slightly more versatile than Cherry-Evans.

“Ben, we like what he can bring to the team,” Walters said at the squad announcement.

“DCE obviously came up in a lot of the discussion but Ben will be coming off the bench for us and we feel in that role, Ben can do a really good job for us.

“I feel if DCE was playing he’d be in the starting 13 ... we feel Ben can bring more value off the bench.”

Cherry-Evans has not pulled on a maroon jumper since starting for injured No.7 Cooper Cronk in game two of the 2015 series.

Queensland lost the game 26-18 and Cherry-Evans was criticised for playing outside their structure and running across field too often.

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The Queensland camp, including selector Lockyer, have denied there is a black mark against Cherry-Evans’ name, with Walters slamming those “rumours” as “hogwash”.

“It’s probably the most disappointing thing for him — and I agree with him — is these rumours ... hogwash was the word I used, about him not fitting into the Maroons set-up couldn’t be further from the truth,” Walters said.

“I want to put that to bed farely and squarely.

“When you wear the Maroons jumper you’re part of a great team and a great family. He’s worn that jersey very well in the past and if he keeps playing the way he is he’ll wear it again.”

Even with Walters going so hard at the perception Cherry-Evans is out of favour, Queensland’s decision to pick Hunt will likely fan the fire, given the Broncos half has had a mixed season and Cherry-Evans is arguably in career-best form.

While Hunt is part of the squad, he will not start in the No.6 jersey, with Walters confirming that decision would be made in the coming days and was down to either rookie Cameron Munster or utility Michael Morgan. Both players will start.

There’s no doubt Munster is tough enough and mature enough, but the concern in such a massive game is whether he has had enough experience in 50 NRL games to make the right calls under the kind of pressure only Origin creates.

Queensland Maroons Origin III side: Billy Slater, Val Holmes, Will Chambers, Cameron Munster, Dane Gagai, Michael Morgan, Cooper Cronk, Dylan Napa, Cameron Smith (c), Jarrod Wallace, Gavin Cooper, Matt Gillett, Josh McGuire, Ben Hunt, Coen Hess, Josh Papalii, Tim Glasby