THE WORM TURNS FOR MAROONS’ NEW HERO
QUEENSLAND’S No.7 jumper is Daly Cherry-Evans’ to lose after the comeback king declared he was ready to be the long-term halfback.
The Manly skipper played his way back into the hearts of Queenslanders on Wednesday night with a strong return after three years in Origin exile.
With a commanding performance, Cherry-Evans also threw his name out as the Maroons’ future No.7.
Queensland coach Kevin Walters said after the game that the spot was Cherry-Evans’ to lose while stand-in skipper Billy Slater claimed the jersey belonged to the halfback for “a long time to come”.
And Cherry-Evans said that while he wasn’t focused on his future ahead of Game Three, he wanted to retain his place.
“I certainly have aspirations to be here long-term,” Cherry-Evans said after Queensland’s Origin III victory.
“I threw all my eggs into this basket (on Wednesday). I didn’t look ahead.
“I am aware of what’s ahead for Queensland and the opportunity of the seven jersey, but I couldn’t be silly enough to look too far ahead.
“I’ve been away for a long time and I just really wanted to enjoy (the game). I feel like I enjoyed it and all the ups and downs rugby league provides.
“I came into this game very prepared. I had a lot of people in my corner. I have grown a lot since the last time I was here so was really confident I would be able to do my job.”