State of Origin 2022: Tom Dearden on incredible comeback from Brisbane rejection to Origin debut
Tom Dearden arrived at the Cowboys a broken man. A schoolboys star shown the door by Brisbane, Dearden’s turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable - and now delivers an Origin debut.
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Broncos reject Tom Dearden will cap his remarkable career resurrection when he pulls on the famous Queensland No. 6 jersey in Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider.
Dearden will start at five-eighth in the Suncorp Stadium blockbuster after Maroons star Cameron Munster and rookie winger Murray Taulagi were ruled out with Covid.
While veteran winger Corey Oates will play his first Origin game in three years, Dearden’s rise from Red Hill reject to Maroons debutant in the space of 12 months is one of Queensland’s greatest Origin fightbacks.
A schoolboys star tipped for a long career in the NRL, Dearden was shown the door by the Broncos last year after having his development butchered by the instability that sent Brisbane plummeting to a maiden wooden spoon in 2020.
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He arrived at the North Queensland Cowboys as a shattered 20-year-old who had lost confidence in his ability and needed to be completely rebuilt.
And that is exactly what Dearden has done. Now he will wear one of the Maroons’ most famous jerseys previously worn by the likes of Origin legends Wally Lewis, Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston.
“It is (remarkable), he’s worked really hard over the last 12 months to get his game to where it is, that’s the reason he’s here, no other reason,” Queensland coach Billy Slater said.
“He’s played some great footy and some consistent footy. He has earnt that opportunity.
“There’s a lot of things that I like about Tom. It’s across the board, it’s not any one thing.
“He is a really good defender, great competitor and uses the footy well. He is a big reason why the Cowboys are playing the sort of footy they are.
“We like those habits in our players. He will jump in and do his job.”
While debuting in an Origin decider at a sold-out Suncorp sounds like a daunting task, there is little external expectation on Dearden to dominate.
The Maroons have been written off after losing Game One hero Munster and given little hope of wresting the shield back from the Blues, who flogged Queensland 44-12 to level the series.
Dearden has been selected in Queensland’s extended squad for all three games and has a strong understanding of how the Maroons play. He will also get five days to prepare for the game as opposed to being rushed in at the eleventh hour.
A feisty competitor and brave defender, Cowboys coach Todd Payten said Dearden was ready to debut.
“Tommy won’t let Queensland down,” he said.
“He’s tough and tenacious. He loves the contact and competes on every play. That is what big games require.
“I was pumped for him to make the Queensland squad. I had a few conversations with Billy heading into Origin I and Billy spoke highly of Tom and it gave me the feeling he would be involved in this series.
“He deserves to be there and it’s a great reward for the adversity he encountered at various stages in his career.”
Dearden trained on the left edge alongside Cowboys teammate Valentine Holmes and has a combination with try-scoring backrower Jeremiah Nanai on the other side.
He has been mentored by Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans throughout the series and the Maroons halfback has been buoyed by what he’s seen from Dearden.
“Tom has really impressed me in our camps,” Cherry-Evans said.
“He is keen to learn and he is just watching everything that happens and I can see he is taking it all in.
“I hope I have played a role in his development in this series because he has a great attitude and has a big future in the Queensland jumper.”
Having made his NRL debut in 2019 for Brisbane as an 18-year-old, Dearden now has 49 games next to his name and has established himself in the top grade.
He has averaged just 1.5 missed tackles per game this season and Slater knows Dearden will not buckle in the Origin furnace.
“Tom has been involved in all three camps so is across how we play and what we focus on. He has really earnt that opportunity to be here,” Slater said.
“He wasn’t here for an experience or holiday. He was here because he deserves to play in this team.
“He’s earnt this opportunity, everyone here has. I’ve got a lot of belief in that squad we’ve picked.”
BLUES INSIDE MAN’S PLAN TO PICK APART MAROONS ROOKIE
- By David Riccio
Chad Townsend has emerged as a NSW spy within — the Blues secret weapon to wreaking havoc on rookie Queensland half Tom Dearden.
At club level, Townsend and Dearden are North Queensland Cowboys halves partners.
But under the famous adage, ‘Mate against Mate, State against State’, NSW are planning to use Townsend’s intimate knowledge of Dearden’s game ahead of Wednesday night’s decider in Brisbane.
Dearden, 21, has been parachuted into the Maroons starting line-up following the Covid-omission of star five-eighth Cameron Munster.
Townsend has been rewarded for his stellar season by joining the Blues as a back-up half following the loss of 19th man Nicho Hynes, also to Covid.
Following Blues training on Saturday at Kingscliff, NSW assistant coach Danny Buderus said using Townsend to break down Dearden was a no-brainer.
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“We’ll start talking about Queensland in the next couple of days with their line-up being something that we’ll obviously go into,’’ Buderus said.
“We’d be silly not to tap into Chad’s knowledge about a number of the Cowboys in the side.’’
Paramount to the Cowboys climb into the top-four, Townsend’s on-field leadership and training ethic was key to his Blues squad inclusion.
Shaking off a bout of gastro, the premiership-winning halfback said he was delighted to be part of the NSW squad, while offering an insight into Dearden’s temperament.
“I think Freddy (Brad Fittler) and the coaching staff know his game, but if I get asked, I’ll offer my opinion,’’ Townsend said.
“At the end of the day, I’m here to do a job for NSW and help them in anyway I can to get the win.
“As a teammate at the Cowboys, I’m proud of him. I’ve seen how hard he’s worked.
“He’s a great competitor. He’s full of effort, he’s got a great running game, a great show-and-go and he’s got the heart of a lion.
“I think he’s made for an arena like this.’’
Townsend, 31, said he took great pride in being part of the Blues preparation, knowing that at any point due to the code’s strict Covid testing procedures, he could be called into the cauldron of Origin at any moment.
“It’s really cool, I grew-up a Blues fan and to be here, with some recognition for how I’ve been going, it gives me great confidence,’’ Townsend said.
“Deep down I know what I’m capable of and I’m just so thankful to the Cowboys for giving me the opportunity to really excel.
Billy fires back with an Origin warning for Blues
Billy Slater has hit back at criticism of Queensland’s fan day and declared the underdog Maroons will produce an Origin decider performance that will make the state proud.
Slater has been forced to thrust Tom Dearden into an Origin decider debut and recalled veteran winger Corey Oates after star five-eighth Cameron Munster and rookie Murray Taulagi were ruled out of Wednesday’s Suncorp Stadium blockbuster with Covid.
The double blow, which includes Queensland losing their best player in Munster, comes on the back of the Maroons being thrashed 44-12 in Perth and being installed as rank underdogs for the series finale.
The Maroons have been given next to no hope of beating the flying Blues, who produced a clinic in Perth to level the series after Queensland’s 16-10 Game One win.
But this is a situation the Maroons traditionally thrive on, with Queensland producing numerous against-the-odds victories in Origin’s 42-year history.
It was only two years ago that the Maroons were written off, but managed to win the 2020 decider in Brisbane with a bits-and-pieces team under Wayne Bennett.
That same spirit will be needed for the Maroons to challenge the red-hot Blues and Slater is confident his patched-up team will not disappointment Queensland.
“It’s not ideal to have this sort of disruption leading into a decider,” he said before the Maroons trained on Saturday.
“(Munster) is a great player and big part of our team...but we’ve got some good players.
“Whoever performs the best out there on Wednesday night will come away with a shield.
“That’s all we can control and focus on. It’s far from ideal, this preparation but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt and we’ll play it.
“Queensland will be proud of this team, don’t worry about that.”
The Maroons reported no further positive Covid cases on Saturday and have ramped up their biosecurity protocols to limit an outbreak hampering their preparations.
Players were urged to social distance from fans at training and the next 48 hours will be critical in limiting more cases, with Munster and Taulagi to spend a week in isolation at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast.
The team travelled to Warwick, southwest of Brisbane, on Tuesday for a fundraising dinner then held their annual fan day on Wednesday before training in the country town then returning to Camp Maroon.
There have been suggestions the players may have become infected in Warwick, however Munster did not arrive until after the fan day and had limited contact with the public.
“I’m here to look forward rather than back,” Slater said when asked if the fan day should have been cancelled due to Queensland’s worsening Covid situation.
“The people who we play for are really important to us. It would be quite ignorant to throw your hat in one ring there.
“My focus is on responding to this situation rather than reacting to what’s happened.
“We’ve got to be really careful. This isn’t just a footy thing, this is everywhere.
“We’ve been doing our due diligence and trying to stay as safe as possible. Right now it’s about what’s in front of us and how we can get to the game in the best position.
“We were all clean this morning so that’s a really good start but we’re certainly not out of the woods. We’ve got two guys in our hotel with Covid. It’s everywhere.
“It’s a really tough situation for everyone and we’re not immune to it.”
Covid rules out Maroons stars as players rushed in
Queensland duo Cameron Munster and Murray Taulagi have officially been ruled out of Wednesday night’s series decider due to Covid.
Munster and Taulagi returned positive RAT results on Friday and were sent for PCR swabs, which were also positive, scratching them from the blockbuster decider.
Cowboys five-eighth Tom Dearden will be called into the 17 for his Origin debut at Suncorp Stadium while Corey Oates has earned a recall on the left wing in place of Taulagi.
With Munster and Taulagi in isolation, the rest of the Maroons squad returned negative RAT results on Saturday morning, clearing them to hit the training field at Sanctuary Cove.
Queensland coach Billy Slater has not confirmed the make-up of his 17.
Dearden, 21, has been selected in Queensland’s extended squad for all three games and is set to be thrust into the Origin furnace with the series on the line.
After winning Game One in Sydney 16-10, Slater’s maiden Origin series has been rocked by a 44-12 loss in Perth and now the impending scratching of Queensland’s best player in Munster.
Munster was man-of-the-match in Sydney and was expected to be Queensland’s most pivotal player at Suncorp, a venue where he has dominated in Maroon.
Slater has other playmaking options up his sleeve.
Hooker Ben Hunt could be shifted to the halves alongside captain Daly Cherry-Evans, with Dearden on the bench, and Roosters dynamo Sam Walker is also in Camp Maroon.However Dearden shapes as the most likely, and least disruptive, replacement for Munster while Oates is expected to edge out squad member Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on the wing.
MAROONS ‘CRINGE’ IN SLATER’S FRANK REVIEW OF HORROR SHOW
Valentine Holmes has revealed Queensland players have held a no-nonsense “honesty session” as the Maroons look to avoid a repeat of their Perth nightmare in the Origin III decider this Wednesday night.
Maroons coach Billy Slater has put the squad through an entire review of their Game Two horror show which saw NSW subject Queensland to a humiliating 44-12 drubbing at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
Queensland stars admitted they “cringed” watching some moments of the 80-minute review that prompted a candid feedback session as the Maroons called out the errors that could prove terminal in the Suncorp decider.
Holmes conceded the replay of NSW’s Origin II romp was difficult to watch, but says a forensic analysis of the heavy defeat has steeled the Maroons not to make the same mistakes before 50,000 fans at Suncorp.
“We have done our review and spoken about what needs to change,” Holmes said. “It’s never nice, I don’t like losing and it’s never nice losing a game like that in a Queensland jersey.
“We had to be honest with each other and what we needed to work on.
“There was no beating around the bush. We are old enough and know how to take it (the criticism), we have all been at club level for a while and we had to be honest with each other.
“We had to get to the point of what happened and what went wrong and all the boys put their hand up and spoke truthfully about it.
“It will be great to have the Queensland fans behind us, but we’re the ones who have to go out there and win the game.
“We just made too many mistakes and missed too many tackles (in Game Two).”
Maroons mentor Slater is famed for his attention to detail and hooker Ben Hunt said the performance review of Queensland’s 30-0 second-half capitulation in Perth was a timely reality check.
“It was tough to review it but there were also some good lessons in there that we need to learn,” he said. “There were definitely a couple of cringe moments.
“We found some areas where we can get better and improve on.
“A few things happened in the game that weren’t Queensland behaviours … we need to change that.”
Queensland forward Jai Arrow praised Slater for his approach and said Maroons players were motivated by the review.
“We looked at the negatives we can fix from the game and took out the positives as well,” he said. “Bill and the coaching staff were honest with us.
“I wouldn’t say there was roastings, it was just honesty and what needed to be said and where we can be better.
“That’s all you can expect. Honesty is what we got. We will move ahead now.”
Queensland duo Dane Gagai and Josh Papalii have come under fire for their performances in the opening two games but Holmes backed the veteran duo to lift in the Suncorp decider.
“They have been training well for us,” Holmes said.
“Everyone knows how good ‘Gags’ plays for Queensland, he is one of the best backs ever to pull on the jersey, so we’re expecting him to have a good game.
“Dane wants to be better in this game and we have a plan with ‘Paps’ (Papalii). I won’t say what that is but we know what he will do.”
Maroons urged to channel Artie’s spirit in Origin decider
Queensland coach Billy Slater has implored his playing group not to let down Arthur Beetson as the Maroons prepare to uphold the legacy of ‘Artie’ in the Suncorp Stadium decider next Wednesday night.
The Maroons will ramp-up preparations for Game Three on Friday — exactly 42 years since Beetson famously led Queensland onto Lang Park in an iconic moment that represented the birth of State of Origin.
In his one and only Origin game for Queensland, Beetson inspired a famous 20-10 defeat of NSW on July 8, 1980, giving the unproven concept legitimacy when he attacked Parramatta teammate and Blues rival Michael Cronin.
Now, with the Maroons under siege after their 44-12 hiding in Origin II, Slater appealed for Queensland stars to summon the spirit of Artie to pull off one of the great series fightbacks in the 2022 decider.
“The first Origin was played at Lang Park and Friday will be the 42nd anniversary to Arthur Beetson running out onto Lang Park … it’s ironic we will be running out there only a few days later doing the same thing,” Slater said.
“That game in 1980 happened three years before I was born, but the vision of Artie running onto Lang Park is ingrained in my mind.
“It’s a huge moment for Queensland rugby league.
“Artie may have only played one game in State of Origin but it was probably the most important game in Queensland’s history.
“Lang Park is our spiritual home and it’s a huge asset for us. You hear Paul Vautin or Chris Close talk about Lang Park. I know it’s now called Suncorp, but it’s the same patch of turf Artie ran onto and this venue means so much to Queensland rugby league.
“Lang Park has never let Origin down as a spectacle and it’s important we don’t either.”
Beetson, Australia’s first Indigenous sporting captain, died in 2011, midway through the most dominant dynasty in Origin history as his beloved Maroons charged to nine series wins in 10 years.
The Blues must break a 17-year hoodoo to win their first decider at Suncorp Stadium since 2005 and Queensland lock Pat Carrigan says the Maroons are motivated by the Beetson factor.
“It’s the 42nd year of State of Origin and we are here because of guys like ‘Artie’ and Gorden Tallis and how they stood up to NSW and that fortified the Queensland spirit,” Carrigan said.
“It is special to run onto Suncorp in a Queensland jumper.
“Artie is a stalwart of Queensland rugby league and for myself as a kid, to play in the same jersey he played in is remarkable.
“When you look at the great players like Artie who wore the Queensland jumper, you don’t want to let them down.”
Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans is hoping to reprise the magic of Queensland’s epic victory in the Origin III decider at Suncorp under Wayne Bennett two years ago.
“We are all aware of the spirit of Artie and we never want to let that down,” he said.
“We need unwavering belief for this game. I remember the spirit we showed in the 2020 decider and I believe we can do it again.”
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Originally published as State of Origin 2022: Tom Dearden on incredible comeback from Brisbane rejection to Origin debut
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