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Queensland has no issue with DCE: Cronk

Queensland State of Origin halfback Cooper Cronk insists there are no personal issues keeping Daly Cherry-Evans out of the Maroons team.

Daly Cherry-Evans
There are no issues between Daly Cherry-Evans and Queensland's senior players, says Cooper Cronk. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Queensland halfback Cooper Cronk insists there are no issues between Daly Cherry-Evans and senior members of the Maroons team.

Cherry-Evans was one of three players to assert their push for the Maroons No.6 jersey in the last round of NRL before Queensland name their side for next week's decider.

After Cameron Munster starred in Melbourne's 42-12 win over Brisbane on Friday night, Cherry-Evans responded with two try assists in Manly's come-from-behind 26-22 victory over the Warriors in Perth.

Maroons utility Michael Morgan also scored twice in North Queensland's 31-18 win over Canberra, as the race to replace Johnathan Thurston surely became a three-way battle.

Cherry-Evans' career-best form has piloted him into contention after Queensland coach Kevin Walters originally failed to name him as a possible replacement for Thurston.

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The Maroons mentor was later forced to deny reports the Manly captain could be overlooked because he doesn't get along with Maroons teammates.

Cronk became the latest to rubbish those suggestions on Saturday night.

"I'm a little bit disappointed with the articles that have been written about Daly," he told Fox Sports

"All the senior players have got a great working relationship on and off the field with him.

"He's been part of the Queensland set-up before and he's contributed off that bench role on a number of occasions."

Cherry-Evans' performance came after Queensland selector Darren Lockyer wrote in a column on Saturday he required a man-of-the-match performance to give his best chance of reclaiming his Origin jersey.

The 28-year-old has lost both games he has started for the Maroons, but Lockyer insisted his cards had not been marked by the selectors.

Cronk said he believes the Manly No.7 is a different player to the one who last played Origin in 2015.

"He's taken his game to another level this year, he's playing career-best football," Cronk said.

It is possible all three could work their way into the Maroons' 17-man squad when it is announced on Monday.

Walters has previously floated the idea of playing Munster at centre for the injured Darius Boyd, which could leave Morgan and Cherry-Evans to fill the five-eighth and bench utility roles.


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