The QRL has backed Paul Green and Daly Cherry-Evans in wake of embarrassing defeat

Queensland Rugby League chair Bruce Hatcher has backed the Maroons’ key leaders as the search for answers zeros in on Paul Green and Daly Cherry-Evans

Queensland Rugby League chair Bruce Hatcher has leapt to the defence of Paul Green and Daly Cherry-Evans as the two most powerful figures in the Maroons set-up come under mounting pressure to justify their positions in the lead-up to the final game of the State of Origin series.

Having suffered two embarrassing defeats already in this year’s series, Queenslanders spent Monday desperately looking for answers to prevent another humiliating loss in two weeks time, when the final game of the series will be played.

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The focus fell on the public faces of the Maroons. Green is two games into his Origin career as a coach and been forced to endure successive losses, having been out-coached by his former teammate Brad Fittler.

Captain Cherry-Evans was in the crosshairs as well, having failed to ignite the Queensland attack through the opening two matches. It was noteworthy that as Maroons players gathered in a circle at the end of Origin II, Ben Hunt appeared to do most of the talking.

Cherry-Evans has been an able commander since forcing his way back into the Maroons side but it is fair to say he is facing the most crucial game of his Origin career in just over two weeks given teenager Sam Walker is waiting in the wings.

His passion for his state is without question. However, he and five-eighth Cameron Munster have failed to gel through the opening two games this year and the blame game has begun, the coach and captain commanding much of the attention given their profile.

A disconsolate Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans as the Blues celebrate their series win Picture: Getty Images

Hatcher insisted Green remained the right man for the job as others pushed the barrow of seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett, who guided the Maroons to a remarkable win in last year’s series.

Bennett is coming to the end of his time with South Sydney and is unlikely to be coaching in the NRL next year as he targets a return to Queensland and a job with the club that eventually wins the right to be the 17th team in 2023.

He will have time on his hands but Hatcher insists he is not on the Maroons’ radar as they put their faith in Green to turn things around. His cause is likely to be helped in Origin III by the return of Kalyn Ponga and Harry Grant from injury.

“Every call I have had this morning is are you getting rid of Greeny and bringing Wayne Bennett back,” Hatcher said.

Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster was disappointing in Origin II Picture: Getty Images

“I have a bit more character than running around and apportioning blame. I think he is a very experienced guy. He has runs on the board. He had a very disrupted preparation.

“I think he has their attention. He has the third game to prepare everyone for. Hopefully there will be a couple of guys who come back.

“This isn’t a coaching problem. It certainly is an experience problem. I think the character of those young guys in our team is worth supporting and I know Greeny is worth supporting.

“Wayne Bennett was the coach. He was the one who said that is it. I don’t think for the future of the Queensland Rugby League and the Queensland Maroons that you can keep reinventing the wheel.

“I think you have to bring good coaches through. I think Paul Green was certainly the best option and he got appointed by the board. Every post-Origin we do a debrief, what went wrong, what went right.

“We will go through that and he has a further option (for next year). I think at our stage … we need some stability moving forward.

“He (Green) is a decent human being, he has a good track record, he has the players’ attention and he is going to have a bit more time to take another step forward.”

As for Cherry-Evans, he has done a sterling job since returning to the Origin fold but Walker is breathing down his neck after impressing in his rookie year at the Roosters.

He will be an Origin player one day, the only question whether Maroons selectors opt to fast-track it next year at he expense of their skipper. Hatcher pointed out that Cherry-Evans had got through a mountain of work on Sunday night — he made 26 tackles and missed only three. In contrast, his halves partner Munster missed a whopping eight tackles as his unhappy series continued.

“The amount of defence he did last night … he did a million tackles,” Hatcher said of Cherry-Evans.

“How can you then be at your very best in attack? He tried a lot of things.”