Queensland coach Billy Slater owes Daly Cherry-Evans nothing more than a phone call

Queensland coach Billy Slater owes under-siege skipper Daly Cherry-Evans nothing, writes David Riccio, which is why the Maroons mentor needs to pick up the phone and make the biggest call of his career.

Queensland have been given a full frontal view of why Manly chose Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty to replace Daly Cherry-Evans.

Just like Cherry-Evans wants to go in another direction, so do the Sea Eagles, with the way they play.

The two playmakers are very different styles of halfback.

Fogarty isn’t flashy. He keeps it simple and largely consistent.

He kicks long, pushes his forwards around the park and plays to a structure that is never more than eight out of 10 and never less than seven.

The brilliance of Cherry-Evans has always been that he’s at his best when he plays by coming at you.

Running, playing, finding his edge forwards, kicking short, kicking on the fourth tackle, turning his runners back under.

NRL State of Origin Game 1 Queensland press conference - Daly Cherry-Evans and Billy Slater Picture NRL photos

He plays what he sees, skipping down short sides, a freelance style that can frustrate the opposition, as well as teammates.

This is why many are debating how Cherry-Evans will combine with fellow freestyler, Sam Walker, at the Roosters.

Origin has a habit of ageing players with opposing direction to ‘Benjamin Button’, which is why Cherry-Evans now finds himself is in the gun.

Really, all that is left for the Maroons, is to see Tom Dearden pull through the next two matches for the Cowboys and a phone call from Queensland coach Billy Slater.

It will be the biggest call of Slater’s career.

The 10-game coach isn’t adverse to putting his state before the player.

Just ask Dane Gagai, Selwyn Cobbo, Reece Walsh, Kurt Capewell, David Fifita and Jai Arrow.

Respectively, none of those players, as far as decisions go, are of the significance that comes with dropping Cherry-Evans, the Maroons captain, following their limp loss to NSW in Origin I last Wednesday night.

Cherry-Evans is being held to account for the Maroons performance.

Cherry-Evans is a Queensland Origin great.

He has started in an Origin record 20 consecutive games at halfback since game three, 2018.

He is the second most capped halfback in Origin history (22), trailing only the legendary Allan Langer (34).

The 36-year-old is the fourth most capped Origin captain (19).

Above him, check out these names: Wally Lewis (30), Darren Lockyer (22) and Cameron Smith (21).

These are all the reasons why Slater owes the veteran playmaker nothing.

My colleague Brent Read suggested on this site that Queensland should do the honourable thing and give Cherry-Evans one last shot in Origin II at Optus Stadium in Perth.

If Queensland lose, Readie writes, well, then that’s his last game in Perth.

Never mind that the series will be over.

We must now be just giving State of Origin jerseys away.

Maybe this is also the reason why Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night was one of the most lacklustre Origin in recent memory.

The reality is, Slater is down 1-0 nil in the series because he showed too much loyalty to Cherry-Evans, who has presented mere glimpses of his best in 2025.

While far from the ultimate measuring stick, Cherry-Evans has tallied just 16 Dally M points so far this season.

The leader Luke Metcalf is on 31 points.

Slater was hoping that the magic of Maroons camp would ignite the veteran by relaxing the pent-up shoulders that he’s been carrying ever since his contract saga emerged last March.

It wasn’t the case.

Slater can make the call to Cherry-Evans with the knowledge that he fully supported his captain to get the job done.

As tough as it is, he didn’t.

*****

Ashley Klein refereed Origin I to a strict standard.

The rebuttal will be the record TV ratings and a sold-out Suncorp Stadium.

By the metrics, State of Origin has never been bigger.

But what about the well-trained eye?

Fans know when they’re being sold a dummy and on Wednesday night we were all guilty of falling for the equivalent of a Johnathan Thurston show-and-go.

Flat. Lacking intensity. A mediocre NRL game.

These were just some of the claims from commentators, journalists and fans after the Blues went 1-0 nil up in the series.

The game needs to be careful. You can have the world’s best product, until you don’t.

Just ask the franchise owners of an F45 gym, the inventors of the Segway, Power Balance wristband and the Concorde.

The officiating by referee Ashley Klein, who blew the equal most amount of penalties (15) in 10-years in an Origin match, was largely justified.

But that’s also the problem.

State of Origin has never been officiated with the level of scrutiny as an NRL game, that’s one of the great secrets of Origin.

With the whistle away, it helps massage the ferocity and the niggle in tackles.

Origin should never be mentioned in the same breath as an NRL match.

Yet worryingly for the first time here we are and the game should recognise it before it’s too late.