The eighth Immortal Andrew Johns has added to the simmering tension between states ahead of Game II, accusing Daly Cherry-Evans of a “cheap shot” on Angus Crichton.
The Maroons skipper was awarded man of the match honours after a stellar performance to down the 12-man Blues, but Johns focused on one moment from the gun halfback.
Cherry-Evans could be seen roughing up the Blues backrower, and Johns urged Crichton and his teammates to not allow that same treatment at the MCG.
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“I actually saw a clip of a bit of cheap shot from Daly,” Johns said on Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show.
“He got Angus on the ground, so Angus don’t cop that mate (in Origin II).”
Meanwhile, he also issued a big warning to Cherry-Evans, questioning whether he has the defensive capabilities to stop the ever-present Latrell Mitchell on his Origin return.
Mitchell makes his first Origin appearance in three years, having been left out of the squad for Game I in favour of Stephen Crichton and Joseph Suaalii.
Johns believes the Rabbitohs superstar has an opportunity to torment Cherry-Evans in defence alongside centre Valentine Holmes.
“Daly is on top of his game, but good luck tackling Latrell,” Johns said.
“Valentine Holmes is already talking it up saying he will get in Latrell’s face so he is in their heads.
“The right side of Queensland is a target. The gap between DCE and Holmes, that space between the halfback and centre, that’s where NSW will apply pressure with Angus, Latrell, Dylan Edwards and Jarome (Luai) floating around.
“That will be the spot they target, especially with Latrell. He is NSW’s X-factor.”
Should Queensland secure the series victory on Wednesday, it will be the gun playmaker’s fourth win as Maroons skipper.
However, Cherry-Evans’ last venture to the MCG was a 26-18 loss in 2015, a game in which he was dropped after a poor performance which led to a three-year Origin exile.
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SLATER’S SELECTIONS QUESTIONED
Rugby league supremo Phil Gould has questioned Billy Slater’s “interesting” decision to reshuffle the make-up of his bench after Selywn Cobbo was left out for Game II.
Cobbo, whose selection for the series opener on the pine was questioned, was said to be “not quite 100 per cent at the moment” and has returned to Cherboug, his home town mid-season.
Warriors enforcer Kurt Capewell has taken his place, and he’s previously played in the centres. However, Gould questioned why Slater would change a winning formula.
“You would think after all the platitudes he got for having a back on the bench… you would think (he’d) just do that again for Game II but for Game II he’s changed it up,” Gould said on the Six Tackles with Gus Podcast.
“(Capewell) can play centre but is kind of in the realm of what we were going to use Hudson Young for inGame I and he has done it in the past and he has done it at Origin level in the past, it was just an interesting change up.
“Whether or not he thinks the conditions are going to be a little bit different in Melbourne… whether he’s just rolling the dice, I don’t know.”
While initially criticised, Slater’s Game I selection decision proved crucial after Reece Walsh left the field only eight minutes into the game.
Cobbo slotted into the centres, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow moving to fullback as Queensland went on to secure an all-important victory.
However, Gould was unsure Capewell will be able to have the same impact Cobbo did in the series opener, whilst also doubting his ability to mark the Blues’ superstar pairing.
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“He’s at the back end of his career, he’s predominantly played in the back row at club level for several years now, he’s a very, very well performed and credentialed player,” he said.
“But if he had to mark Latrell Mitchell for 70 minutes for example, if he had to mark Stephen Crichton for 70 minutes, I’m seeing that as a mismatch, that’s the potential.
“That may not occur but the gamble is now there that he’s not going to have a Cobbo or someone to fill that in.
“If something happened to a Reece Walsh this game… it’s going to change the dynamic a little bit there too.”