Phil Gould is ‘absolutely astonished’ at Queensland’s Origin snub
NRL legend Phil Gould has admitted he’s “absolutely astonished” at a huge snub encapsulating Queensland’s Origin decider.
JOHNATHAN Thurston’s heartbreaking shoulder injury, which will see him miss State of Origin’s decider at Suncorp Stadium next week, has put a huge hole in Queensland’s back line to fill.
The Maroons haven’t had a lucky run with their halves this year. Thurston missed the first game with a slowly recovering shoulder, opening the door for Broncos rookie Anthony Milford to take his position at five-eighth. Milford was then ruled out for an expected six weeks after sustaining a shoulder injury shortly after his Origin debut in a match against the Rabbitohs.
With the state’s two best halves out of the game, all eyes shot in the direction of in-form Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans to fill their shoes.
The 28-year-old has made a serious statement in the lead-up rounds to the blockbuster decider, playing out of his skin for Manly with his solid defence and a booting a stunning field goal to pull home a thrilling one-point victory over the Raiders in round 13.
It’s no surprise fans were shocked after Queensland coach Kevin Walters snubbed him from the side, opting for Broncos star Ben Hunt to join the squad.
Cherry-Evans was devastated, admitting he rang Walters after the decision was made public.
“I expressed to Kevvie over the phone that while I didn’t agree with his decision I definitely understood how hard it would have been for him,” Cherry-Evans said.
“I feel as though I’m ready to get back into that arena, I’m going to try my hardest to get back in there next year.”
Former NSW coach and Origin legend Phil Gould led the chorus of incredulity following the 28-year-old’s omission for what he described to be “the biggest game in football history”.
“I’m astonished. Absolutely astonished,” Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast Wednesday. “Since we spoke last week he put in a man of the match performance, he was outstanding against the Warriors.”
Gould admitted representative footy had evolved into a far more complex game than when he was involved in coaching the Blues but suggested Cherry-Evans’ blockbuster performances for Manly should have been a no-brainer for Walters.
“His form warranted selection in the team, there’s no risk about that,” he said. “But it’s an interesting point now because representative teams are now much more than what they used to be.
“Back in the day, representative teams were picked on those deserving because of their club form and then it was up to the coach to mould them into a team. Then they went off to play against another state or another country.”
Speculation over Cherry-Evans’ relationship with Maroons skipper Cameron Smith surrounded his selection snub.
“I’d say Kevin Walters has said ‘this is my team, I want people in here that I relate to and that’s what I want to do’.
“You’d probably have to get a red-hot poker on his stomach to find out the real reason why he wasn’t selected.”
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