Daly puts the Blues on notice for Munster reunion
Daly Cherry-Evans has warned NSW that the Maroons are ready to go to “a new level” as the Queensland skipper prepares to reunite with Cameron Munster to inflict back-to-back series losses on the Blues.
Cherry-Evans and Munster are the halves tasked with steering the Maroons to victory in Wednesday night’s 2023 Origin series opener against NSW at Adelaide Oval.
Rated the most naturally talented attacker in the Queensland team, five-eighth Munster missed last year’s Game 3 win due to Covid, leaving CherryEvans to produce a skipper’s knock to pilot the Maroons to Origin glory at Suncorp.
Cherry-Evans and Munster rejoin forces and the Queensland No.7, who will be awarded the “Tosser” Turner Medal for his 20th Origin appearance on Wednesday night, has put the Blues on notice.
In his fifth series as captain, Cherry-Evans insists he is not a spent force at age 34 as the Blues reel from the loss of superstar centre Latrell Mitchell.
“We will have to go deeper and find more motivation and be willing to put more on the line to beat them, because NSW will want revenge,” Cherry-Evans said.
“It’s hard not to get excited about this series. The Queensland team has a lot more depth than in the past and it’s given (coach) Billy (Slater) and the selectors some headaches.
“(Back-to-back series wins) hasn’t been done for a while at Origin level (since 2017). It’s time for us to go to that new level and build on last year.
“Right now, I am contributing and I feel like I’m going into the series in good form.
“I won’t argue when the moment comes and someone tells me my time is up, but I won’t be complacent and that’ll be our mindset as a group in Origin I.”
The last time the Maroons were on Adelaide Oval for Origin’s South Australian debut in 2020, the Cherry-Evans and Munster strike force terrorised the Blues as Queensland fought back from a 10-0 halftime deficit to clinch an epic 18-14 victory and set the tone for a remarkable series win.