Queensland call up debutants for Origin decider

BRISBANE, Aus t ra l i a : Queensland chose debutants Cameron Munster and Ben Hunt on Monday but left out the in- form Daly Cherry- Evans for next week’s State of Origin rugby league decider against New South Wales in Brisbane.

Munster, a stand- off with the Melbourne Storm, and Brisbane Broncos scrum- half Ben Hunt were the only changes for the Maroons, who courageously levelled the best- of- three game series with a fighting 18-16 win over the Blues in Sydney last month.

Test stars Johnathan Thurston and Darius Boyd a re both unavailable for selection with injuries sustained in the second game.

Coach Kevin Walters said Hunt will start the July 12 match from the interchange bench and he will make a decision on Queensland’s new start ing stand- of f and centre.

A major omission from the team was Manly Sea Eagles scrum-half Cherry- Evans, with Walters stoutly defending his selection choices after Hunt was dropped to the Broncos reserve grade team a month ago.

“DCE’s (Cherry-Evans’) Origin career is well and truly alive,” Walters told reporters.

“He was disappointed ( at missing selection) but he was most disappointed with the media and what was a pretty personal attack on him,” he said.

“And I agree with him. These rumours and nonsense, this hogwash about him not fitting into the set- up – it couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Counterpart Laurie Daley named an unchanged NSW squad for the final showdown. — AFP