Cooper tells Hunt to do it his way
Queensland urge Ben Hunt to play his own game
Concerned Queensland coach Kevin Walters was prepared to push his deadline back to tomorrow to give Hunt more time to prove his fitness, but after completing training yesterday, the Maroons No.7 had a glorious message for his coach.
“I am definitely playing,” Hunt said.
“That was the main test for me (yesterday) and I got through it comfortably, so I will only get better from here.
“Kevvie asked me how it went and I said I had no issues so we are all good.”
Walters has told Hunt to take control of the Maroons with the same confidence as his predecessor Cronk, but back-rower Gavin Cooper urged the rookie halfback to play his way.
“Hunty only got a couple of minutes in Game Three last year but he’s not coming in to be Cooper Cronk,” he said.
“Everyone talks about big shoes to fill and it is the same with Macca (hooker Andrew McCullough).
“No one is going to be another Cooper Cronk so Hunty is out there on his own merit and they (he and McCullough) will do fine.”
There were genuine concerns about Hunt after he struggled to stretch out during shuttle runs on Thursday morning.
But the in-form Dragons half ran comfortably yesterday and while he wore a yellow vest signalling he was off-limits for contact, he had little trouble marshalling the Maroons’ attack.
QUEENSLAND have urged Ben Hunt not to feel the pressure to play like Cooper Cronk after the injured halfback confirmed he is a certain starter in Origin I this Wednesday night.
The Maroons have received a boost ahead of the se- ries opener with Hunt yesterday declaring he will overcome a corked thigh to make his starting debut against NSW at the MCG.
Hunt had failed to train fully with the side during his first three days in camp.