A bond forged 17 years ago has made rookie Andrew McCullough the "perfect" replacement for ex-Queensland skipper Cameron Smith as the new Maroons hooker.
When Queensland officially begins life without greats Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk in Wednesday's State of Origin opener, Brisbane rake McCullough faces possibly the most ominous task.
He has been handed the Queensland No.9 jersey left by record 42 Origin great Smith, who recently joined Thurston and Cronk in representative retirement.
It ended a decade-long wait for an Origin nod for McCullough, a veteran of 224 NRL games.
However, halfback Ben Hunt said his close friendship with McCullough, first forged when they were schoolboys in 2001, would help his mate step up in No.9 and make the new-look Maroons spine click.
In the absence of their Big Three, Hunt makes his Maroons No.7 debut combining with one-game pivot Cameron Munster in a spine that features rookie McCullough at nine and veteran fullback Billy Slater again calling the shots from the back.
Hunt and McCullough will play in a Queensland side together for the first time since the 2002 Maroons under-12 side but were rarely seen apart during their Broncos days.
Hunt enjoyed nine seasons at Brisbane with his close friend McCullough, some of it as flatmates, before leaving for a lucrative St George Illawarra move in 2018.
"The friendship (with McCullough) is extremely important (for the spine to work)," Hunt said.
"It's not just the mateship, it's the the bond we have together playing at club level for such a long time.
"It makes it easier for us both coming in as rookies kind of and be able to click pretty quick (for Queensland)."
Maroons prop Jarrod Wallace said McCullough looked like a "perfect" replacement for Smith at their Gold Coast training camp.
""It's like he has been here for 10 years," Wallace said of the 28-year-old McCullough.
"He is the perfect fit for Smithy."
Hunt is also feeling the heat as he takes over the No.7 reins from Cronk.
Maroons back-rower Gavin Cooper backed Hunt and McCullough to make a name for themselves on Wednesday night.
"Everyone keeps talking about big shoes to fill for Ben, same with Macca (McCullough)," Cooper said.
"Macca has come in to do his best impression of himself, he's not out here to be Cameron Smith.
"No one's going to be another Cameron Smith or Cooper Cronk.
"Those boys are out there on their own merit and they will do just fine."
Share
