State of Origin 2018: Daly Cherry-Evans completes his Queensland comeback as a winner

BEFORE the start of Origin III, Daly Cherry-Evans was amazingly jeered by Queensland fans. But by the end of the game, the derided comeback kid had sealed his Maroons fate.

You can see how much it meant to him. (Annette Dew)

AS far as PR makeovers go, it won’t exactly make things easier for Daly Cherry-Evans.

At least, anywhere south of the Tweed, it won’t.

Cherry-Evans, the polarising playmaker who ex-teammates deride and claim can divide dressing rooms, came up with a performance last night that saved the state of Queensland from turning on itself.

He also saved his State of Origin career. Before the 29-year-old scoring the match-winning try for the Maroons, Cherry-Evans shared his plan with the world.

“I want to be an Origin player for the rest of my career,’’ he said in the build-up to Origin III. Quite ­incredibly, that’s now possible.

DCE looked right at home in a Queensland shirt. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

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Yes, you read that correctly. In his first appearance in a Maroons jumper since 2015, Cherry-Evans was the most influential player on the field.

Billy Slater wasn’t far behind him.

Undoubtedly, the haters will say that only Cherry-Evans could conjure up a performance that steals the spotlight from the universally liked Slater, in what was his final Origin appearance for Queensland.

His kicking game was always a threat. (Annette Dew)

But in 80 minutes, Cherry-Evans put three years of Origin exile behind him to crush NSW coach Brad Fittler’s dream of guiding the Blues to their first 3-0 clean sweep since he did so as captain in 2000.

The relief from Cherry-Evans, who like most surely believed his cards were marked never to play Origin again, was evident at fulltime.

“It’s outstanding — an amazing feeling,’’ Cherry-Evans said.

“It’s a gentle reminder of how much Origin means to everyone in Queensland. It was so important for me to come back here and hopefully do myself and my state proud.

“The result is all that it’s about and we got a good result tonight, so I’m over the moon.

“Three years is a long time in rugby league, it’s so good to be part of it again. I knew how far I’d come as a player.

“I knew how different my role was this time around. The role I had tonight is exactly what I have in club footy, so I knew I just had to be me.

“Unfortunately, this series had passed me by the time I got a shot, but I can tell you I’m going to be do everything I can to be back here next year.’’

The moment Daly Cherry-Evans had been waiting for. (Annette Dew)

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It was interesting that within minutes of the Maroons’ victory, former captain Cameron Smith, who worked with coaches Mal Meninga and Kevin Walters to select sides over the past five years, jumped in to praise the halfback.

“I thought he was outstanding,’’ Smith said. “Possibly that was his best performance in a Maroons jersey. He ran the footy, he directed the team around the park, just a great game.’’

Undeniably, the most polarising No.7 in the NRL answered the only question being asked on Caxton St last night.

Could Cherry-Evans guide a Queensland side without Cameron Smith, without Matt Scott, without Cooper Cronk, without Greg Inglis and without Michael Morgan to ­victory over NSW?

You can see how much it meant to him. (Annette Dew)

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Guess what, he did it.

In time, what the stats columns won’t show is Cherry-Evans’ ­control and effectiveness in front of 51,214 fans at Suncorp Stadium last night.

The numbers won’t show that he couldn’t have done anything more to send his skipper Slater out a winner.

He tackled and he kicked with ­superb weight, rolling three perfectly measured kicks into the Blues’ in-goal in the first half.

Billy Slater couldn’t have been happier. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

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The control of Cherry-Evans — in concert with Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster — was the ­difference. It reached a crescendo in the 58th minute when the duo combined to give the Maroons the lead.

Ramming through the middle of an exhausted Blues defensive line, Munster found Gavin Cooper, who in turn passed to Cherry-Evans.

The halfback was punching the air before he planted the ball down.

It was his first try in Maroons colours and by far his most important.

According to Slater, it won’t be his last: “I think that No.7 jersey is his for a long time to come.’’

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Originally published as State of Origin 2018: Daly Cherry-Evans completes his Queensland comeback as a winner