https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...d/news-story/0bd9753b25573756b77d7d6f84b1e70f
Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans thought things could get no worse than fulltime on Sunday night. Then Monday arrived — and he had to fly home with the entire NSW Origin side.
Dressed down in black shorts and a grey hoodie, DCE was among a small group of Sydney-based Maroons forced to fly home from their embarrassing Origin series defeat on the same flight as an entire Blues squad whose celebrations seemed not to have ended from the evening before.
And who knows?
Maybe they hadn’t.
But with the NRL chartering only one private flight out of Brisvegas on Monday, it meant players like Cherry-Evans, Dane Gagai and Jai Arrow were forced to share a flight with not only every NSW player, or coach Brad Fittler and his entire staff, but also several NSWRL officials.
Worse, when the flight arrived back in Sydney, every passenger was squeezed onto a shuttle bus which, waiting on the tarmac, transported players to a waiting fleet of hire cars.
Given the Blues were first onto the bus when it landed, Cherry-Evans and co. were left to board last and, with most of the seats full, find space close to the front alongside NSW coaching staff.
None of which was easy for the Maroons skipper given, little more than 12 hours earlier, he had been involved in several on field scuffles, including at least two with Blues centre Latrell Mitchell.
“So it was all incredibly awkward for them,” said one present. “I’m sure it was a tough 90 minutes.”
But as for NSW?
Given the ongoing Covid restrictions, the Blues were forced to contain celebrations to the team hotel where, after some inspiring speeches from both coach Brad Fittler and Blues chief advisor Greg Alexander, it’s understood several players then kicked on in their hotel rooms.
On arrival back in Sydney, many of the squad were more than happy to play up to The Daily Telegraph’s cameras, including superstar Panthers duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o.
Considered long odds to play Origin at the start of the year, the pair have proved a crucial part of Fittler’s victorious side.
Elsewhere, Cherry-Evans also found himself on the receiving end of criticism for not only his performance in Origin II at Suncorp Stadium, but also the way he handled the post-match press conference alongside besieged coach Paul Green.
Speaking on Fox League, Queensland great Cooper Cronk was extremely critical of his former Origin teammate, saying there was “zero conviction” in his address to media afterwards. “If I’m DCE I put my hand up as captain and halfback and say, ‘It’s not all on me but a large percentage is on me because I didn’t tell this person to get to this position or I didn’t have my lead runners right’,” Cronk said. “For me the lack of motivation — and this is Origin — you’re playing at Suncorp, I’ve run out at Suncorp and there’s enough motivation in that roar when you run out onto that field.
“You lost, there’s nothing wrong with owning it and vowing to fight your way back next year.”
Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans thought things could get no worse than fulltime on Sunday night. Then Monday arrived — and he had to fly home with the entire NSW Origin side.
Dressed down in black shorts and a grey hoodie, DCE was among a small group of Sydney-based Maroons forced to fly home from their embarrassing Origin series defeat on the same flight as an entire Blues squad whose celebrations seemed not to have ended from the evening before.
And who knows?
Maybe they hadn’t.
But with the NRL chartering only one private flight out of Brisvegas on Monday, it meant players like Cherry-Evans, Dane Gagai and Jai Arrow were forced to share a flight with not only every NSW player, or coach Brad Fittler and his entire staff, but also several NSWRL officials.
Worse, when the flight arrived back in Sydney, every passenger was squeezed onto a shuttle bus which, waiting on the tarmac, transported players to a waiting fleet of hire cars.
Given the Blues were first onto the bus when it landed, Cherry-Evans and co. were left to board last and, with most of the seats full, find space close to the front alongside NSW coaching staff.
None of which was easy for the Maroons skipper given, little more than 12 hours earlier, he had been involved in several on field scuffles, including at least two with Blues centre Latrell Mitchell.
“So it was all incredibly awkward for them,” said one present. “I’m sure it was a tough 90 minutes.”
But as for NSW?
Given the ongoing Covid restrictions, the Blues were forced to contain celebrations to the team hotel where, after some inspiring speeches from both coach Brad Fittler and Blues chief advisor Greg Alexander, it’s understood several players then kicked on in their hotel rooms.
On arrival back in Sydney, many of the squad were more than happy to play up to The Daily Telegraph’s cameras, including superstar Panthers duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o.
Considered long odds to play Origin at the start of the year, the pair have proved a crucial part of Fittler’s victorious side.
Elsewhere, Cherry-Evans also found himself on the receiving end of criticism for not only his performance in Origin II at Suncorp Stadium, but also the way he handled the post-match press conference alongside besieged coach Paul Green.
Speaking on Fox League, Queensland great Cooper Cronk was extremely critical of his former Origin teammate, saying there was “zero conviction” in his address to media afterwards. “If I’m DCE I put my hand up as captain and halfback and say, ‘It’s not all on me but a large percentage is on me because I didn’t tell this person to get to this position or I didn’t have my lead runners right’,” Cronk said. “For me the lack of motivation — and this is Origin — you’re playing at Suncorp, I’ve run out at Suncorp and there’s enough motivation in that roar when you run out onto that field.
“You lost, there’s nothing wrong with owning it and vowing to fight your way back next year.”
