Sport Confidential: Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans won’t rule out retirement from rep footy
The Origin decider may be the last time two veteran Queenslanders play for their state, David Fifita’s selection heartbreak and a surprise PNG expansion stance.
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Is Queensland about to farewell its current two most experienced statesmen?
Hooker Ben Hunt has joined captain Daly Cherry-Evans in failing to guarantee their availability for next year’s State of Origin series.
Hunt will join the exclusive 20-gamer club in Wednesday’s series-decider at Suncorp Stadium, with Cherry-Evans to make his 25th appearance for the Maroons.
But Hunt, 34, and Cherry-Evans, 35, are no certainty to be there next year, despite making no official decision yet.
“It could be,” Hunt said when asked if the decider could be his Origin swan song.
“It is not something I have given a lot of thought to. At the moment I am enjoying playing Origin.
“Towards the end of the year in the off-season I might have a think about that but at the moment I am enjoying myself.”
There is no doubt Hunt and Cherry-Evans are playing well enough to demand selection, but things can change quickly, especially if Queensland lose the decider.
Origin legend Cameron Smith abruptly quit the representative arena just weeks before the 2018 series.
Hunt and ‘DCE’ have proven to be robust players over their 300-game careers, but the likes of Harry Grant and Sam Walker are snapping at their heels for positions.
Hunt said it would be difficult to walk away from Origin.
“I have always said that as long as Billy (Slater) is going to call I’d be happy to play,” Hunt said.
“It is always a huge honour to play Origin but I think it is going to come to a point where I will make a decision at some stage.
“They are probably the two main ones, how the body is feeling and you are away for a large period of time from your family and I’d like to be with them a lot more.
“At the moment I am enjoying myself and the body is feeling all right.”
TITANIC BLOW FOR FIFITA
In-form Titans forward David Fifita was on the verge of a return to the Queensland side for this Wednesday night’s Origin decider.
Sport Confidential can reveal just how close Fifita came to winning back his Maroons jumper for the Game Three series showdown with the Blues at Suncorp Stadium.
It is understood the blockbusting back-rower had been pencilled in by Queensland selectors in the lead-up to the Titans’ clash against the Sharks last Friday night.
Maroons hierarchy discussed Fifita at length and he only had to produce a strong game against Cronulla in Coffs Harbour to dislodge Jaydn Su’A from the Queensland side.
But despite compiling 137 metres from 19 runs in the Titans’ boilover of the Sharks, the Maroons were not convinced Fifita was dominant enough to warrant a recall for the Suncorp decider.
Contrary to the view Fifita is on the nose with Billy Slater, the Maroons coach actually wanted to pick him, but the 24-year-old only has himself to blame for failing to seal the deal.
Fifita started in all three games for the Maroons last year, evidence he has not been black-listed by Slater.
“Dave’s name has been in the conversation for all the games,” Slater said. “Dave didn’t have a great pre-season and he is still working back to the standard he set for himself last year. I’m sure he would be the first one to admit that.”
TIGER’S ESCAPE CLAUSE
Wests Tigers won’t stand in the way of veteran centre Justin Olam leaving the club should Papua New Guinea win entry to the NRL.
Sport Confidential can reveal the secret PNG expansion clause in Olam’s contract that can be activated if his country of birth joins the big league as the 18th or 19th team.
Olam is one of PNG’s most famous rugby league exports, having amassed 116 NRL games with Melbourne and the Tigers and winning a premiership ring in 2020 at the Storm following his first-grade debut in 2018.
A product of the tiny village of Gon, Olam signed a three-year deal with the Tigers this season, but has the option to return home to PNG at any time should the Pacific nation win an NRL licence.
But the Tigers can breathe easy, with PNG not expected to join the NRL until at least 2027, by which time Olam would be a free agent at the age of 33.
You would think Olam would be a massive fan of expansion to PNG.
But the veteran of 14 Tests for the Kumuls recently gave the NRL a candid appraisal of the perils of setting up a team in Port Moresby, saying PNG expansion has a number of challenges.
“I’m speaking from what I’ve experienced. I’m not talking out of the blue. This is what I think it is, because most of the people in power have never lived that life,” Olam recently told Sydney media.
“I think it will be a good thing for the game to have a PNG team in the NRL, the fanbase and everything is there.
“But players-wise, for me personally, I think we need to have a foundation first and that is developing grassroots football, junior football.
“I still feel like we’ve got a long way to go.
“My personal point of view is that I think we’re jumping a few steps. There’s nothing wrong with getting an NRL team but I think not now … (maybe) in a couple of years time.”
HANNAY’S HAMMER BLOW
Billy Slater’s Maroons assistant Josh Hannay insists he has not given up hope of becoming an NRL head coach after missing out on the Parramatta job.
Breaking his silence on losing out to Jason Ryles to succeed Brad Arthur in the blue-and-gold, Hannay is determined to carve out a head-coaching career in the NRL and believes he has what it takes.
Hannay has been a trusted deputy for Queensland coach Billy Slater and the 44-year-old former Cowboys centre is prepared to be patient.
“I wish Jason nothing but the best,” said Hannay, also Craig Fitzgibbon’s offsider at Cronulla.
“While disappointed to miss out on the Eels role, I know for a fact there was nothing between myself and Jason, but at the end of the day they went with Jason.
“He has done his time and he deserves this opportunity. He’ll do great.
“For me, I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to continue in my roles with the Sharks and the Maroons.
“Both positions give me enormous satisfaction working alongside some of the best coaches and players in the business.
“The nature of the industry dictates that another head-coaching opportunity will arise in the future, and as I’ve always done, when that opportunity comes, I’ll be selective in my approach to that opportunity.
“The process with the Eels has only solidified my belief that I’m not only ready to be a head coach, but succeed as a head coach.
“I know those that I work alongside would agree.
“In the meantime all my energy and focus lies with the Sharks and Maroons.”
QLD POLICE BLOCK BLUES FROM CAXTON ST
Blues coach Michael Maguire’s ambitious plan to rekindle the famous NSW team-bus gauntlet run down Caxton Street has been torpedoed.
Queensland authorities have rejected Maguire’s request for NSW to drive past rabid Queensland fans in a bid to fire up the Blues ahead of this Wednesday night’s Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium.
Former NSW coach Phil Gould last week used his Channel 9 podcast to call for the return of one of Origin’s great traditions - the Blues bus driving down Caxton St in the shadows of the home of Queensland rugby league.
Gould chuckled as he recalled the look of terror on the faces of NSW players as Queensland fans, many half-cut after boozing up at the famous ‘Cakko’, hurled abuse and XXXX at the Blues bus.
Gould’s call-to-arms inspired by Maguire, who spoke to heavy hitters about the possibility of breaking a 13-year ban on NSW and Queensland team buses travelling past the Caxton Hotel.
But the practice is dead-and-buried after Maguire failed in his bid for a Caxton drive-by to inspire the 2024 Blues to break a 19-year Suncorp hoodoo in Origin deciders.
“I couldn’t twist any arms unfortunately,” Maguire told NRL 360. “I did inquire actually.
“I got to the heads of department up there (in Queensland) and the police and I think it’s been shut-off (since 2011).
“We would have liked to have gone down Caxton Street and had that experience.
“The players have done a lot about the history of where the Blues have been and you take the spirit of ‘Turvey’ (former NSW skipper Steve Mortimer) and what Turvey has brought to the NSW jersey, it has really resonated with the group.
“Unfortunately, the way things have shifted in the world, we can’t do that (drive down Caxton St).
“It would have been nice, but at the end of the day, it’s about the 80 minutes and we’ll get ourselves prepped and ready to go.”
Gould said last week: “All the players I coached talk about what a thrill it was and I got to experience it as a coach.
“We embraced it, it’s good for the supporters.
“I do remember the bus shaking and the banging on the side (from Maroons fans hitting the bus).
“There was no police the first time. It was great.”
A Queensland police spokesman told Sport Confidential had no plans to soften its stance, despite Maguire’s best intentions.
“The practice of having State of Origin buses not travel along Caxton Street is due to safety reasons,” the spokesman said.
“During State of Origin, and other large events at Suncorp Stadium, Caxton Street is closed to vehicular traffic as part of the traffic management plan, for the safety of pedestrians.
“Allowing buses to travel along Caxton Street will unnecessarily place members of the community in danger and is not supported by the Queensland Police Service.”
FENECH’S RECORD UNDER THREAT
Jeff Fenech’s 29-year-old record as the fastest Australian to win a world title is under threat.
Fenech won the IBF bantamweight world title in just his seventh professional fight but he could be dethroned by West Australia’s pocket rocket Alex Winwood.
Tokyo Olympics star Winwood has clinched a deal to take on Thailand’s defending champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong (24-0) for the WBA world title in just his fifth pro fight.
Winwood fights in boxing’s smallest division at minimumweight, but the 48kg dynamo will be the big man of Australian boxing if he can upset Niyomtrong in the world-title bout in Perth in September.
No other Australian has won a world title in as few fights as Fenech, but Winwood has a golden chance to make history.
It would cap a fairytale year for the 158cm Winwood, who was named NAIDOC’s sportsperson of the year in Adelaide last weekend.
“It would be unbelievable if Alex broke Jeff Fenech’s record,” said his trainer Angelo Hyder.
“Alex is a lovely, humble young man and pound for pound he hits as hard as anyone I have worked with.”
BABY BRONCO’S SEAL OF APPROVAL
Former Broncos teenage sensation Karmichael Hunt has backed hulking prop Va’a Semu to succeed at Red Hill.
Souths Logan bookend Semu has come from the clouds to push for a shock NRL debut at the Broncos as Brisbane battle a major injury crisis.
Currently in his first season in the Queensland Cup, the monstrous Semu is being coached at the Magpies by Hunt, who famously made his debut for the Broncos as a 17-year-old in 2004.
Semu has been handed a development deal by the Broncos and Hunt says the 194cm, 110kg front-rower has a big future in the game.
“He’s a promising young front-rower,” Hunt said of Semu. “He is a big, strong ball-carrier with a good engine.
“He is pretty sound defensively for a big guy.
“There’s still plenty of growth in his game to come and he is also a really great humble kid.”
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Originally published as Sport Confidential: Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans won’t rule out retirement from rep footy
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