Queensland enforcer Jai Arrow insists there is no Origin leadership void following the sudden retirement of captain Greg Inglis, even if he won't be raising his own hand for the role.
The Gold Coast forward endorsed halfback Daly Cherry-Evans for the job while anticipating Inglis and other retired Maroons would still play a big role as Queensland's "new generation" get their chance in 2019.
The champion centre and incumbent Maroons captain called time on his 15-season rugby league career on Monday.
His decision further thins coach Kevin Walters' stocks after the recent representative retirements of star quartet Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.
Manly half Cherry-Evans and North Queensland playmaker Michael Morgan have emerged as frontrunners for the vacant post, while Matt Gillett, Matt Scott and Roosters co-captain Jake Friend could be options.
"He'd be a great candidate - there's a lot there that'd be happy to throw their hands up," Arrow said of Cherry-Evans.
"It's a massive loss with GI retiring, a sad day for rugby league and Queensland, but we've got to move forward.
"It is the new generation coming through."
The 23-year-old Arrow was touted as a future Origin leader by Maroons legend Gorden Tallis following a breakout 2018 campaign.
But speaking to media on Tuesday, the form Titans forward hosed down chat of a promotion after just three Origin contests and 50 NRL games, saying he was "just a young boy trying to do his best."
Brisbane Origin hopeful Corey Oates, whose father-in-law Gene Miles is a Queensland selector, joked Inglis' departure could play into his hands.
"Daly's thrown his hand up, but what about a winger," Oates said.
"I've got to get picked first, but why not ... it'd be a good headline, I'll need to get onto Geno (Miles), see if he can pull some strings."
With his tongue less firmly in cheek, Oates suggested Morgan would be more suited to the captaincy.
"He tries to better the team wherever he can," Oates said.
"He's a pretty good talker, you can see his maturity going up a lot. I reckon he'll put his hand up too and he'd be a great leader."
