Footy world turns on ‘washed’ Queensland greats after NSW thrashing
Queensland has been left scrambling for answers after Game 1 and experts and fans alike are calling out some all-time Maroons greats.
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Queensland is picking up the pieces after a heavy 18-6 Game 1 loss to NSW and experts and fans alike are looking squarely at one key change for the Maroons.
The Blues bolted out of the blocks, dominating the first half in front of a shell-shocked Suncorp Stadium crowd, taking a 14-2 lead into the break.
Brian To’o’s sin bin just before halftime for tackling Xavier Coates over the tryline briefly gave Queensland hope of a comeback, but it wasn’t to be as NSW claimed the victory ahead of games in Perth and Sydney.
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While the Blues came into the match carrying a number of injury concerns, it was the Maroons that looked short of a gallop, with veteran Daly Cherry-Evans coming in for plenty of criticism.
The 36-year-old has been a staple of the Queensland side for years, but did set a new record for the oldest player in Origin history on Wednesday, surpassing Petero Civoniceva.
Cowboys playmaker Tom Dearden came on in the second half and many are calling for him to start Game 2.
Maroons great Shane Webcke admitted after the game he did have concerns for his state moving forward and reluctantly pointed the finger at the Manly halfback.
“Yeah a bit. There are some serious questions to be asked and one of them might be Daly Cherry-Evans,” Webcke told Triple M radio.
“I just feel like he’s at that point of his career and when you see him with Cameron Munster tonight, the magic wasn’t there and that worries me.
“I hate to suggest that about a bloke like Daly Cherry-Evans.
“I feel like at the end of the last series, we probably missed an opportunity with a bloke like him, he’s 36 years old, the opportunity was probably there to reinvent a bit.
“I think we might pay a price for not having done that.”
Cherry-Evans was also interviewed after the game on Channel 9 and at least talked a big game about Queensland’s hopes of getting back into the series.
“The obvious one is we’re going to have to do it the hard way, but it’s been done before,” he said.
“That’s the opportunity we’ve got in front of us, but that hurts.
“The result right now, you work so hard, you put so much into the week, when it doesn’t go your way it’s really difficult to not be disappointed.
“Credit to the Blues but we’ve got a bit of work to do.”
If it’s up to plenty of those watching on, however, DCE may not get the chance to help lead a Queensland fightback.
Cherry-Evans and fellow veteran Munster seemed to cop the most vitriol from Maroons fans on social media.
One wrote: “DCE washed, Munster washed, Ponga washed, Harry Houdini Grant missing and the Hammer not sighted.”
The Warriors NRL Fanatics handle declared: “DCE time to retire.”
Another fan offered: “Jeez munster and DCE in 2025 makes easy viewing for Blues.”
A fourth wrote: “NEEDS to be Munster + Dearden Game 2, DCE on the bench.”
A fifth stated: “Thanks for your service Cherry Evans, time to move on.”
The Channel 9 team then analysed the Queensland side after the game and felt it was hard to see the Maroons getting back into this year’s series.
“I think NSW, if they were on tonight, they win by 40 or 50,” Andrew Johns said. “They’ll be better for that.
“This group here Queensland, I don’t know if they can go up another level. I think there has to be changes.
“Corey Horsborgh could add something, Jai Arrow is an Origin player, but the big one is whether they pull the trigger on Dearden and DCE.”
Phil Gould agreed with Joey’s sentiment.
“I think Queensland are really going to have some nightmares over that game,” Gould said.
“I just don’t see any answers for them. I don’t see any answers in the selection room, the individual players in the team are going to have to play better but in all the important parts of the game tonight they were just outpointed tonight.
“Now I don’t know that they’ve got it in them to come back from that.”
Originally published as Footy world turns on ‘washed’ Queensland greats after NSW thrashing
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