Daly Cherry-Evans won’t step down from Maroons after dismal Game I loss at Suncorp Stadium

Daly Cherry-Evans is a man under pressure in the wake of the Maroons’ dismal Game I loss. However, the defiant skipper has hit back at claims he’s a spent force and is determined to retain his No.7 jumper. HAVE YOUR SAY

A defiant Daly Cherry-Evans will not step down from the Maroons and has appealed for a shot at redemption in Queensland’s house of horrors in Perth.

NSW halfback legend and NRL Immortal Andrew Johns called for Cherry-Evans to be sacked in the wake of the Maroons’ dismal 18-6 loss to the Blues in Origin I at Suncorp Stadium.

Cherry-Evans became the oldest player in Origin history in the 2025 series opener and there are fears that at 36 years and 97 days, Father Time has caught up with the veteran Queensland skipper.

Maroons coach Billy Slater is under pressure to revamp a pop-gun Queensland attack that has scored just one try in 160 minutes of Origin football.

Cherry-Evans said he would happily take his share of responsibility for the uninspiring defeat, but hit back at suggestions he’s a spent force and is determined to retain the No.7 jumper for Game Two in Perth on June 18.

“When you lose, it’s just natural in this game that those questions will be asked,” Cherry-Evans said of his future.

Daly Cherry-Evans is under pressure as Maroons skipper. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I just have to go away, look at my own performance and where I can help the team get better.

“I am certainly not the one to lose self-belief, that’s for sure.”

If he is retained for the return bout, Cherry-Evans will have some major demons to exorcise in Perth.

The skipper’s Maroons have been flogged in both contests at Optus Stadium, with Cherry-Evans left to lament a 38-6 mauling in his second game as Queensland captain in 2019 before suffering a 44-12 sky-blue rout in 2022.

Cherry-Evans has been a magnificent servant for Queensland.

He has captained the side since 2019 and Wednesday night’s loss to the Blues was his 20th consecutive Origin game as Queensland’s starting halfback.

Johns believes it’s time for Slater to “pull the trigger” and axe Cherry-Evans in favour of Tom Dearden, but ‘DCE’ is adamant his halves alliance with Cameron Munster can spearhead a recovery mission in Perth.

“It’s really hard to talk about your individual game after a loss like that,” he said.

“As the halfback and skipper, I look at the result and where I impacted the game or didn’t impact the game.

“Because of the role I have for this side, I will definitely take my share of responsibility and look really hard at where I can help the team get better for the next game.

“It’s always difficult after a loss being in the position I’m in. It’s not lost on me.

“But there’s a lot of people in this group who have played a lot of footy together.

“This is going to be our greatest test and because of the relationships and the talent in the team, that’s why I’ve got so much belief we can do this.”

Maroons enforcer Tino Fa’asuamaleaui urged Queensland selectors to keep faith in the 26-game Origin champion.

Teammates have rallied behind Daly Cherry-Evans. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“We have to stick with him, 100 per cent,” Fa’asuamaleaui said.

“He is the captain of this team and we have massive respect for him.

“We were all off, we didn’t back each other up and we turned over too much ball which made it hard for our halves.

“We shouldn’t even be thinking of that (axing Cherry-Evans).

“He is our skipper for a reason and I’ll back him 100 per cent.”

The Maroons must defy 45 years of Origin history to dethrone the Blues.

Queensland have never won an Origin series by winning consecutive matches in Sydney or neutral venues after losing Game One at Suncorp Stadium.

“Those stats are there to be broken,” Cherry-Evans said.

“That’s the mentality we’ve got to have to create our own bit of history.

“Sometimes you have to do things not the way you planned at the start.

“It’s a greater sign of a team facing adversity, overcoming obstacles and that’s the opportunity we’ve got in front of us.

“I believe in the group and I believe in everyone, from the coaching staff to the playing group.”

Asked if the Blues now have the psychological edge over Queensland, Cherry-Evans said: “There’s no doubt that they have plenty of self-belief in their footy.

“They won last year’s series and they have just gone one-nil up and won back-to-back games at Suncorp.

“Of course they have self-belief but it’s a best-of-three series.

“I have a lot of belief this can still be done.”