NRL Rich 100: Queensland stars Daly Cherry-Evans, Ben Hunt, Kalyn Ponga dominate list

The Queensland Maroons scored an upset win in this year’s State of Origin series and their superstar players have the pay packets to match the success.

They are the $1 million marvels who inspired Queensland’s fairytale Origin series boilover of the Blues.

The Melbourne Storm were famous for their Big Three of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk.

Now meet Queensland’s Holy Trinity of Daly Cherry-Evans, Ben Hunt and Kalyn Ponga, who not only terrorised the Blues this year, but dominated News Corp’s exclusive Rich 100 list.

Judging by the NRL pay packets of Cherry-Evans, Hunt and Ponga, it should come as no surprise the classy playmakers were pivotal figures in Queensland’s stunning 22-12 upset of NSW in this year’s Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium.

While NSW duo Nathan Cleary and James Tedesco are among the NRL’s financial kingpins, the Rich 100 analysis shows Manly’s Cherry-Evans ($1.2 million), Newcastle’s Ponga ($1.1m) and St George Illawarra’s Hunt ($1.1m) are worth $3.4m to the Maroons.

All three are the highest-paid players at their respective clubs — and entrenched in the NRL’s top-five earners.

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Daly Cherry-Evans celebrates with Ben Hunt after Queensland’s State of Origin series win. Picture: Adam Head

Maroons players celebrate series victory. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

At various stages of their journeys, the triumvirate have been maligned figures, with Cherry-Evans condemned for reneging on a deal at the Titans in 2015, while Ponga and Hunt have been criticised for lacking consistency in the NRL.

But in one of the biggest games of their careers in the 2022 Suncorp decider, the terrific trio stepped up, leading Queensland to glory and demonstrating why they are high-income earners in the NRL’s Rich 100.

In a man-of-the-match performance in the Origin decider, Ponga scored a try and ran for a staggering 247 metres. His 15 tackle busts was second only to Maroons fullback legend Gary Belcher (17) in Origin’s 42-year history.

Earlier this season, Ponga signed a mega five-year extension with Newcastle worth $6 million and Cherry-Evans believes his Maroons fullback cohort is on the path to NRL greatness.

“I thought Kalyn stamped his mark on Origin football as a fullback,” Cherry-Evans said.

“He had great moments in the series, but in our two wins in Game One and Game Three, he was one of our most influential players.

“I am really happy for Kalyn, he works really hard on his game and the hard work paid off.

“He can certainly be one of the greats.”

Kalyn Ponga stamped his mark on State of Origin. Picture: AFP

Cherry-Evans was equally pleased with Hunt’s moment of glory in Origin III.

When Hunt quit the Broncos in 2017 after inking a monster six-year, $6 million deal with the Dragons, St George Illawarra hierarchy was pilloried for authorising a $1 million-a-season package that changed the code’s contract landscape forever.

But Hunt has been superb this season — he led the Dally M count after 12 rounds — and sealed Queensland’s Origin III win with an 80-metre runaway try.

“He’s a great football player,” Cherry-Evans said of Hunt.

“He has been a polarising player throughout his career but surely now we are going to stand and applaud what Ben Hunt is, he is a bloody good player and I hope he wins the Dally M this year,

“He is a good friend of mine, he has become an important sounding board in the Queensland team, and I am glad he is finally getting the rewards for his talent.”

Daly Cherry-Evans celebrates winning the 2022 State of Origin series. Picture: Adam Head

Cherry-Evans has been the NRL’s top earner in the past two seasons on $1.25 million, although his salary dipped slightly this year to $1.2 million.

In April, the 33-year-old signed a two-year extension to ensure he will remain at Manly until the end of 2025, which could see the Maroons skipper soldier on in the NRL beyond his 36th birthday.

And while NSW opposite Cleary is threatening to steal his Australian No.7 jumper for the World Cup, Cherry-Evans is up for the fight.

“Nathan is in the form of his career and he has been for a couple of years now,” he said.

“I have always said I am not disappointed with how I’m playing, I’m really proud of how I’m playing this season.

“I might be a bit older and I might not be as flash as what Nathan is, but I wouldn’t swap my spot for him at the moment. I am so proud of where I am at.

“I definitely want to keep playing for Australia. It would mean a lot for me to play in the Australian side as a halfback at the World Cup ... I am loving what I am doing at the moment.”