Win or lose the State of Origin decider, Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans says he won’t be announcing his representative retirement after Wednesday night’s showdown with NSW.
The 35-year-old has the chance, with victory, to join Wally Lewis, Darren Lockyer and Cameron Smith as the only Maroons skippers to win three series in a row as captain.
It would seem a perfect way to bring down the curtain on his stellar Origin career but that decision will be for another day.
"I promise you there won’t be an announcement. (When) I will be sailing off I to the sunset, people won’t know until the off-season," Cherry-Evans said.
"I won’t want any special treatment for that sort of stuff.
"I don’t make these decisions during the year. I do my best thinking in the off-season but while I am in the thick of it I am just going to keep enjoying it.
"I love this job and it is crazy that I even call it a job. I love everything that comes with it."
Cherry-Evans, with 24 Origin games under his belt, was pressed on whether the result at Suncorp Stadium would influence his decision.
"Probably not the way you guys are thinking. I don’t need a fairytale to finish," he said.
"I am playing for reasons. I enjoy and love the game and I love playing for Queensland. There is also my family that enjoys watching me play for Queensland. For as long as I am good enough to hold a spot in this team it will be very hard to pass up in the future."
There is a good reason why Cherry-Evans doesn't take anything for granted when it comes to Origin football. His three-year exile from the team has not been forgotten by the Manly captain.
"I got dropped (in 2015) and wasn’t playing well enough to keep a spot in this side. I earned my spot back (in 2018) and I have literally played every game like it is my last," he said.
"I have been doing that for nearly six years now. I know I am getting old and retirement becomes a bit of a talking point but I don’t have any special news for you."
Cherry-Evans led the Maroons to Origin decider wins in 2020 and 2022 at Suncorp Stadium and is primed to do so again as the halfback general. "I am grateful to play and captain Queensland. I feel honoured every time I run out," he said.
"I am the first person to run out in front of the Suncorp crowd and I draw a lot of energy from that. It is a proud moment for me and my family. While I have the privilege of being captain I can’t forget that I am a player first and a halfback so I have to make sure I do that properly."
