State of Origin: Queensland overlooks Daly Cherry-Evans for game three

Queensland has overlooked Manly half Daly Cherry-Evans for the deciding game of the State of Origin series at Suncorp Stadium next Wednesday.

Coach Kevin Walters has been forced into a number of changes with injured stars Johnathan Thurston and Darius Boyd both missing from the side that levelled the series in game two.

Brisbane’s Ben Hunt and Melbourne’s Cameron Munster are the two new players in the Queensland squad.

Walters has defended the decision to omit Cherry-Evans, insisting he has a future in the Maroons team.

“I rang him this morning, just to make sure that he’s OK with the reasons why we haven’t selected him,” Walters said.

“The position we’re in with Michael Morgan and Cameron Munster, we feel that they deserve the opportunity just as much as what DCE would have.

“DCE’s Origin career is well and truly alive … he was most disappointed with the media, and what has been a pretty personal attack on him, saying that certain members of this team and the Queensland Rugby League don’t accept him.

“These rumours are nonsense, hogwash. Rumours about him not fitting into the Maroons setup couldn’t be further from the truth.

“He’s worn that jumper extremely well in the past and if he keeps playing well he’ll wear it again next year.”

Once again Walters didn’t name positions for the players, however it’s expected Morgan will start at five-eighth with Munster in the centres, and Hunt on the bench.

Earlier, Blues coach Laurie Daley named an unchanged side for game three, the first time NSW has named the same 17 players for all three games of a series since 1996.

Queensland squad for game three: Billy Slater, Valentine Holmes, Will Chambers, Cameron Munster, Dane Gagai, Michael Morgan, Cooper Cronk, Dylan Napa, Cameron Smith (c), Jarrod Wallace, Gavin Cooper, Matt Gillett, Josh McGuire. Bench: Josh Papalii, Coen Hess, Tim Glasby, Ben Hunt.