Daly Cherry-Evans emerges as Maroons captain amid Greg Inglis uncertainty
Daly Cherry-Evans will make his 200th first grade appearance for Manly on Saturday safe in the knowledge that he has become one of the club’s most inspirational leaders and figures.
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Daly Cherry-Evans will make his 200th first grade appearance for Manly on Saturday safe in the knowledge that he has become one of the club’s most inspirational leaders and figures.
He may yet be required to transform those qualities to State of Origin as the uncertainty surrounding Greg Inglis’ future shines a light on the leadership void that has slowly infiltrated Queensland in recent years following the retirement of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk.
Inglis will be on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on Saturday to watch South Sydney take on the New Zealand Warriors and he is expected to make a decision on his playing future on Monday.
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Speculation has been rife that he could walk away from the game due to a shoulder problem, although Souths officials remain tight-lipped on their skipper’s plans.
His future not only has ramifications for the Rabbitohs, but also the Maroons as they stare down the steady exodus of players from their golden generation.
Inglis, who captained Queensland last year after taking over from Smith, would leave a hole that has no obvious candidate to fill.
Cherry-Evans appears the most likely, although North Queensland skipper Michael Morgan would also enter the equation given he has been a walk-up start for the Maroons when fit.
The wildcard could be Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster, whose leadership qualities are believed to have emerged through the profiling that has been carried out by the Maroons in recent years.
Coach Kevin Walters brought leadership expert Mick Martin into the Maroons fold in 2016 as he looked to ensure Queensland would be equipped for life without the likes of Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk.
Martin will earn his money should Inglis give it away, although in Cherry-Evans they have a player who has captained his club side in recent years and finished last year as vice-captain of the Kangaroos.
Cherry-Evans, who will celebrate the 200-mark against Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium, was forced to patiently wait in line to get another chance in Origin but he found his way back into the fold last year as the Maroons won the final game of the series.
He now faces the prospect of being elevated to apex of the Queensland side as they wait to hear whether Inglis will continue his remarkable career.
“We have been working for a couple of years on the profiling of people who have outstanding leadership qualities,” QRL chair Bryce Hatcher said.
“Everyone in the team has been profiled at some stage. The second part of that is developing those people. Out of that emerges a field of four or five. If GI was to retire, we would obviously have to go to that group.”
Hatcher hasn’t reached out to Inglis personally but he has spoken to those around the Souths and Queensland captain to let him know that the Maroons family are thinking of him and supporting him.
LISTEN! Matty Johns is back with his latest podcast and with Paul Kent and James Hooper runs the rule over struggling team, takes a look at what makes a great halfback and has his say on the modern coaching problem. Plenty of laughs to be had as well.
Meanwhile, Andrew Fifita has spoken of his hope that Tevita Pangai Junior gets a chance at Origin even though it would mean he is scratched from the Tonga side for their mid-year Test.
Pangai late last year revealed that he had spoken to Fifita about Origin and that conversation had helped convince him to pledge his allegiance to NSW.
“In Origin, I really want to see him succeed,” Fifita said.
“He had that one massive game against the (North Queensland) Cowboys and the next week I feel like he didn’t back it up. He needs to find consistency in his game.
“He is going to be an awesome player. He is going to be on the game’s best. He will be there sooner or later.”
Asked why he had encouraged Pangai Junior to make himself available for Origin, Fifita said: “It was hard because he was asking me all these questions. He hasn’t played it yet.
“He always asks me why don’t you play. I said the pinnacle of our game is to play for your country. We had our games for our country and then they threw Origin on that weekend.
“It is a bit hard. If there was none of that I would still be playing for NSW. If there was no mid-year Test, I would be playing for NSW in a heartbeat.
“I am going to stick loyal to Tonga. We are growing the game in the right way. To he honest, I think we have given life to the international game.
“I have a few more years left - i will go the next World Cup - and look at that next generation. Jason his going to be (Taumalolo) there for the next 10 years. We have inspired the next generation.”
Originally published as Daly Cherry-Evans emerges as Maroons captain amid Greg Inglis uncertainty
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