‘He’s all over the shop, he’s crying’: DCE pokes fun at Ben Hunt as Maroons enjoy seamless Origin camp

It’s a little quiet, almost too quiet in Queensland. Not even Ben Hunt’s request for an early release can distract them.

The news of Ben Hunt’s possible release from the Dragons hasn’t been a distraction for the Maroons. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans says Ben Hunt’s request for an early release from the Dragons hasn’t been a distraction inside Maroons camp as they prepare to wrap up the State of Origin series at home on Wednesday night.

Hunt stunned the rugby league world on Saturday when it emerged he’d asked St George Illawarra management for a release from the final two years of his contract just days after they’d signed Shane Flanagan to take over as coach in 2024.

The Dragons have vowed to give their star playmaker space during his Queensland commitments, and Cherry-Evans says the events of the past few days haven’t impacted the team at all.

Ben Hunt hasn’t let his trade request distract him or his Queensland teammates. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“You should see him. He’s all over the shop, he’s crying,” the halfback joked.

“Nah, he’s fine.

“Ben is 32 years of age. He’s been in the NRL for 15 years, he’s a father, he’s a bloody good footy player and he’s a good person.

“What he’s going through there is quite frankly between him and his family and the club. He hasn’t allowed that to distract himself and he hasn’t allowed it to distract the team.

“If anything, it’s given us something to tease him about.”

The Maroons have lost several players from their game 1 squad, including Tom Gilbert who will miss the rest of the year with a serious shoulder injury. Picture; NRL Imagery

The Hunt news has been just about the only glitch for Queensland as they prepare to finish off the series at home on Wednesday.

The Maroons were outstanding in Adelaide, and while they’ve been forced to make a few changes, their preparations for game 2 have been a lot smoother than the Blues who have suffered major losses to key personnel and were forced into another late change with Latrell Mitchell ruling himself out.

It’s been a different story north of the border where the Queensland team has somehow dodged the usual mystery virus that tends to sweep through camp at this time of year.

While things may seem perfect, Cherry-Evans rubbished suggestions that they were feeling complacent ahead of the game at Suncorp Stadium.

Queensland won’t take things for granted as they look to seal the series on home soil. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“It (complacency) is a dirty word. Bloody oath is. In rugby league in general it’s a dirty word,” he said.

“I’ve been coached mainly by Des Hasler and if you think Des Hasler allows complacency, then you’re kidding.

“We’re certainly not viewing it as a seamless camp. It’s Origin, and we’ve got to prepare for an Origin game.

“If you’re looking at it as a seamless camp from one game to the next, then you’re kidding yourself because you’re going to sell yourself very short for what’s going to happen out there on Wednesday night.

“We’ve been training at a level of intensity that we feel is going to give us a good chance of winning on Wednesday night. We’ve had to make a few changes through injury, so it’s not as if we’re rolling out the same side again.”

Originally published as ‘He’s all over the shop, he’s crying’: DCE pokes fun at Ben Hunt as Maroons enjoy seamless Origin camp