State of Origin 2015: Daly Cherry-Evans terrorised 12 times by Ryan Hoffman last year and the nightmare’s not over

RYAN Hoffman has been tasked with ­tormenting Daly Cherry-Evans, a tactic that proved a masterstroke last year as these 12 images show.

DEAR Daly, you’re about to be hassled by the Hoff. Again.

NSW are preparing to direct a mountain of traffic in the direction of stand-in Queensland halfback Daly Cherry-Evans in defence after the tactic proved to be a masterstroke last year.

Cherry-Evans was physically pummelled in game two last year as the Blues secured their first Origin series win in nine years.

On Wednesday night it will be the Daly Double.

PHIL ROTHFIELD: No one can deny Gallen is a great leader

FULL PREVIEW: The Ultimate Guide to State of Origin II

Ryan Hoffman runs at Daly Cherry-Evans last year.

NSW back-rower Ryan Hoffman has been tasked with ­tormenting the Queensland playmaker after running straight at Cherry-Evans 12 times during NSW’s famous 6-4 win.

Cherry-Evans was forced into 29 tackles in that game and Hoffman was the main protagonist.

No matter where Cherry-Evans hid in defence, Hoffman found him.

“It worked for us last year when we played them in game two,” said NSW back-rower Beau Scott, who will have one eye on the Maroons’ other playmaker, Johnathan Thurston.

“There’s no point going away from what works for us. If we can do that again, we will.”

Cherry-Evans is all class on the field. But NSW know if they can get to him, rough him up and make him work in defence, then fatigue is likely to result in some poor decision-making.

“He is a wonderful young player but if we put him under the pump and make him make some decisions, who knows what could happen?” NSW winger Brett Morris said.

Cherry-Evans has come into the Queensland side after Cooper Cronk withdrew injured.

NSW will try to isolate Cherry-Evans on the right edge, and Hoffman is the player to make the Maroons No. 7 work overtime.

“I assume that is something we will look at again,” Morris said.

“Obviously we had a bit of success there last year.

Ryan Hofmann targeted Daly Cherry-Evans last year.

Ryan Hofmann targeted Daly Cherry-Evans last year.

“He (Cherry-Evans) will be up for it. He has the whole week to train in his position and I’m sure they would have looked at a lot of vision when he did play there and what to expect.

“It’s a game of rugby league and he is one of the halves and you usually try and target the halves. That’s no secret.’’

Cherry-Evans could be the first player to be jeered by both states.

He is disliked in Queensland for backflipping on the Gold Coast Titans and will be booed by NSW because he plays for the Maroons.

NSW hooker Robbie Farah said all playmakers were targeted in defence.

“I think our halves made 25, 30 tackles respectively. That’s a lot of tackles for halves,” Farah said.

“They are sending (Sam) Thaiday at ‘Hokko’ (Trent Hodkinson) a lot and down the other side Mitch (Pearce) is getting a lot of work.

“Hookers are the same in the middle. It’s not because we can’t tackle. We’re smaller guys and they have bigger guys running at you. That’s how teams generate quick play the balls.”

NSW shifted from their Coffs Harbour camp to Melbourne on Sunday afternoon.

Rival coaches Laurie Daley and Mal Meninga will hold a joint press conference on Monday at the MCG.

“I’ve never been to the MCG, let alone played on it,” Scott said.

“I’m looking forward to checking out the dressing sheds and everything that goes along with it.”

Hoffman said the one-point loss in Sydney had given his side plenty of confidence.

“We certainly didn’t lose any confidence after what happened in game one,” Hoffman said.

Originally published as State of Origin 2015: Daly Cherry-Evans terrorised 12 times by Ryan Hoffman last year and the nightmare’s not over