Mar 7th, 2019

Mar 7th, 2019

Daly Cherry-Evans begins this season as Queensland's incumbent State of Origin halfback.

Sounds much better than Maroons outcast.

DCE may have finally ended one of rugby league’s most juicy stories with his Origin III performance last season, his first win as Queensland’s starting No.7.

At best, the old whispers claimed that the Manly star was a clunky fit with the Maroons. At worst, that his teammates didn’t like him.

Daly Cherry-Evans in his first start as Queensland halfback, Origin II, 2014. (Getty)

Results didn’t help improve the narrative. He played two games off the bench in the 2013 series win, no problems, before being thrust into the No.7 for Origin II in 2014 with the series on the line.

His first start for Queensland, and NSW claimed their first series win in eight years.

He was recalled for Origin II 2015, with the chance to win a series. Queensland lost, dumped him for the decider and won 52-6. It took him three years to get another Origin game.

His halves partner for those two ill-fated starts, Johnathan Thurston, told Wide World of Sports that DCE’s teammates had no problem with him personally.

Daly Cherry-Evans (R) with Johnathan Thurston during Origin 2014. (Getty)

“I don’t know where that has come from,” Thurston said. “We all got on well with him. On bus rides, we’d be playing cards together.”

Veteran Maroons forward Sam Thaiday also laughed off claims that Cherry-Evans was an outsider.

“It’s fantastic – we were just trying to sell tickets!” he told Wide World of Sports.

Perhaps the closest version of the truth is that Cherry-Evans found it difficult being thrown into the long-term, all-star Queensland spine of Billy Slater, Thurston and Cameron Smith. All strong personalities, all potential Immortals. Imposing company.

It wasn't so much about getting on with them, but fitting in with their well-established, wildly-successful plans. About struggling to act as a commanding playmaker in such illustrious company.

Daly Cherry-Evans tackles Cameron Smith during his first Origin season, 2013. (AAP)

None of them are there anymore, though Slater was present for his comeback in Origin III last year. That call-up came after Michael Morgan became the preferred bench utility from 2015 onwards, while Cameron Munster, Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt all got a crack at starting in the halves before DCE’s rep career was revived.

A snub for the 2017 decider caused particular uproar, but Queensland coach Kevin Walters wasn't having any talk of personality issues, telling Sky Sports Radio: “Put that rumour to bed, it is just ridiculous. I mean, he’s playing at Manly and leading that side magnificently, so you can’t do that if you are some sort of a d---head.”

Rugby league Immortal and Queensland icon Wally Lewis told Wide World of Sports that Cherry-Evans had been let down somewhat by his forward pack in his first two Origin starts.

“He probably would be wishing that he’d been able to perform more consistently,” Lewis said.

“The chances that he has had to represent Queensland, I think he’s done fairly well. We’ve also got to remember that when a bloke gets a chance to perform on the world’s toughest stage, if the team can’t perform at their best, it offers very little hope for that player, eg. Daly Cherry-Evans, to be at his best in the match.”

Daly Cherry-Evans in his Queensland Origin debut, 2013. (Getty)

It took a Hunt stinker in Origin II for Cherry-Evans to get his belated third chance, but he grabbed it. The 18-12 win at Suncorp Stadium gave Slater a triumphant farewell and DCE has finally earned some measure of incumbency.

He was sufficiently impressive that the jersey seems his to lose this season; at age 30, with a premiership, Clive Churchill Medal, 195 NRL games, 13 Tests and seven Origins to his credit.

“You need senior players in those key roles. I’d love to see him play there,” Thaiday said.

“I played a lot of football against him, but also a lot of representative football with him. He’s a fantastic talent and I think he deserves another crack.”

Thurston agrees that he’ll be there if his form holds up, with Morgan snapping at his heels.

“Certainly it’s the best he’s played. There was a lot of pressure on him going into that game, too,” Thurston said of Origin III last year.

Daly Cherry-Evans scores his first Queensland try in Origin III last year. (AAP)

Walters has indicated that he wants to stick with the Munster-DCE halves combination this year after its showing in Origin III. Queensland selector and legend Darren Lockyer, who has previously admitted that there were teething issues with Cherry-Evans in Origin, said the Manly star now looked the genuine article.

“He was exceptional last year in game three. He did everything right in the lead-up to the game and he performed very well on the night,” Lockyer told Wide World of Sports.

“That’s always held a lot of weight with Kev, what they’ve done in the jersey. It would be a difficult assignment to take that away from him.

“And I think we all know what Munster’s capable of. He’s a big-game player.”

Daly Cherry-Evans rides bikes with Billy Slater in 2018 Origin III camp. (AAP)

Having Munster, a budding superstar with an excellent running game, gives Cherry-Evans a nice foil. Manly and Queensland hero Paul Vautin believes his Sea Eagles combination may also be more to his liking this season with the arrival of former Titan Kane Elgey.

“To me, they’ll finish just outside of the top eight, their roster hasn’t changed a great deal, but they’ve got a five-eighth for the first time in a couple of years in Kane Elgey,” Vautin told Wide World of Sports.

“His [Elgey’s] defence is always questioned, but when you’ve got a player who’s not that crash-hot in defence, you can put people around him. They’ll do that with [Jake] Trbojevic.

“He’s got a great attacking flair. I like five-eighths and halves that run – I think he needs to run more.

“That last Origin game, I think Cherry-Evans proved to everyone that he can play. There were doubts, but he’s a really good player. He’s in Manly’s top-three players every game. I think he’ll just get better.”

Billy Slater celebrates with Daly Cherry-Evans in Origin III last year. (AAP)

Rugby league Immortal and NSW great Andrew Johns is wondering whether Queensland might make a change elsewhere in their spine. Hunt was dropped to the bench for Origin III and Johns believes he outdid starting No.9 Andrew McCullough when he spent time at hooker.

Johns said that Cherry-Evans had clearly improved Queensland in his comeback game.

“Game three, they looked a different team. They looked faster,” he told Wide World of Sports.

“I felt for Ben Hunt. That second game, I don’t really know if he recovered from that; it really knocked his confidence around. I think maybe at that level, he’s a dummy-half; I thought they looked really good when Hunt went to dummy-half and Cherry-Evans and Munster were in the halves.

“Michael Morgan’s a great player also. I’m not telling them who to pick, but!”

Cherry-Evans remains a polarising star. Former teammate Anthony Watmough infamously branded him a "f---wit" last year.

This year, come Origin time, only one thing will matter to DCE. He's finally the incumbent Queensland halfback, six years on from his debut.