Maroons’ State of Origin star Tom Dearden eyes Daly Cherry-Evans’ Queensland No.7 jersey

With Daly Cherry-Evans possibly playing his last Origin series, the Queensland No.7 jumper could become vacant for the first time in seven years. And Queensland’s Mr Fix-it, Tom Dearden, is determined to make it his own.

Tom Dearden says he is capable of succeeding Daly Cherry-Evans in the Queensland No.7 jumper as he opened up about the Broncos freefall that built his Origin character.

It is a measure of Queensland coach Billy Slater’s faith in Dearden that the Cowboys co-captain has been handed the crucial No.14 supersub role for Wednesday night’s Origin opener.

Rather than be axed for the return of Cameron Munster at five-eighth, Slater admires Dearden’s competitive fire and evolution as a leader at both the Cowboys and Camp Maroon.

For that reason, Dearden has been retained as Queensland’s Mr Fixit - and down the track, he shapes as a possible fix to the Maroons’ looming halfback headache.

With Cherry-Evans possibly facing his last Origin series this season, the Queensland No.7 jumper could become vacant for the first time in seven years.

Roosters whizkid Sam Walker has been earmarked as a successor to Cherry-Evans, but Dearden has the inside running and would relish joining forces with Munster in the post-DCE era.

Tom Dearden says he is capable of succeeding Daly Cherry-Evans in the Queensland No.7 jumper. Picture: Getty Images

“Seven (halfback) and six (five-eighth) nowadays are very similar roles,” Dearden said ahead of Origin I at Suncorp Stadium.

“Similar players play in both numbers so if that happened, I’m up for it.

“Hopefully ‘DCE’ can play as long as he can, but down the track if that’s the way Queensland wanted to go, I could certainly handle that position.”

Dearden’s fightback to wear the Maroon jumper is testament to the never-say-die terrier who produced one of the great Origin debuts filling in for Munster, who was struck down by Covid in 2022.

Just 12 months earlier, the Toowoomba product was on the canvas at the Broncos.

Touted as a future NRL superstar as a teenager by Maroons legend Johnathan Thurston, Dearden lost his way under Anthony Seibold and Kevin Walters and looked destined for the scrapheap.

On the outer, out of form and seemingly having lost all confidence, Dearden was thrown a mid-season lifeline by the Cowboys.

Many told Cowboys coach Todd Payten he was mad for buying Dearden.

The playmaker’s confidence was shot, but Payten persisted, gradually reconstructing the self-belief that has underpinned Dearden’s rise to the Cowboys co-captaincy.

The Cowboys co-captain has been handed the crucial No.14 supersub role for Wednesday night’s Origin opener. Picture: Getty Images

“Looking back on it now, I am very grateful to have experienced that,” Dearden says of his frustrating years at the Broncos.

“I built a lot of resilience in my character.

“I am thankful for having to go through those tough times.

“It was a tough time for a young playmaker coming through, but you grow with experience and that’s what the game is all about.

“That’s what happened with my career.

“Toddy (Payten) was pretty instrumental in getting my confidence back.

“He put a lot of faith in me when I first arrived at the Cowboys and the belief comes from staying there and working at it.

“Eventually you get that belief and confidence back.”

Dearden believes his tumultuous time at the Broncos helped build his Origin character. Picture: Getty Images

Dearden is mindful the Maroons have a history of supreme supersubs.

Cooper Cronk, Harry Grant, Michael Morgan, Ben Hunt and Cherry-Evans are just some of the match-winners who have donned the Queensland No.14 jumper.

With Hunt sidelined by a hamstring injury, Dearden is not fazed by the pressures of a foreign role.

“Queensland has had a history of having halves be that utility off the bench,” he said.

“The thing that comes with the role is being prepared to play anywhere and to come on at any time.

“I might come on in the middle or at hooker. I’m ready for that. I will bring the shoulder pads, that’s for sure.”

Cherry-Evans backed Dearden to be Queensland’s man for a crisis off the bench.

“I don’t think there’s anyone who would say he is not ready for that role,” he said.

“If you talk about what Tom Dearden’s best attributes are, they are competitiveness and toughness … exactly what you need to have in Origin.

“He is the ultimate competitor and he’s going to be great.

“There’s going to be detail put around his role during the week.

“For this game he is going to be a 14 and a really good one at that.”

Originally published as Maroons’ State of Origin star Tom Dearden eyes Daly Cherry-Evans’ Queensland No.7 jersey