A year after Cameron Smith's representative retirement, Greg Inglis has now hung up the boots so the Queensland State of Origin side is on the hunt for a new captain. The NRL.com experts have their say on who should lead the Maroons in 2019.
NRL.com's experts view
Steve Renouf (Maroons legend)
Daly Cherry-Evans is the man to captain Queensland. He has a lot of experience as a skipper. He is playing some great footy and he came out and played really well for the Maroons in game three last year, so I think he will be named at number seven and as captain. Michael Morgan, in the team I would pick, is in the centres and I just think it is better to have a captain in the spine. It all points to DCE.
Brett Kimmorley (Former Kangaroos halfback)
Cameron Munster. He can be the five-eighth and the on-field leader. The fact he may be too young and hasn't been a club captain won't matter. Danny Buderus did exactly the same thing for NSW. At Origin level you need a leader on the field – Munster can do that.
Jamie Soward (Former Blues five-eighth)
Josh McGuire. Hard no nonsense player who could really thrive having the ‘c' next to his name. Loves the niggle and could be the catalyst to upset the apple cart for the blues.
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Brett Keeble (NRL.com reporter)
At this point in the season, Daly Cherry-Evans has done enough to not only secure the Queensland No.7 jersey but also the captaincy. He was man of the match in their victory in game three last year, and his performances for Manly have pushed him past Cowboys skipper Michael Morgan as the obvious choice to lead the Maroons.
Margie McDonald (NRL.com senior reporter)
Michael Morgan. Play him at No.1, put Kalyn Ponga in the No.14 jersey as he can play everywhere, and let Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster work their magic at the halves with no other hassles in their heads.
Brad Walter (NRL.com senior reporter)
Daly Cherry-Evans. The Manly playmaker was Australian vice-captain in last year's Tests against New Zealand and Tonga, he is the Queenslander with the most captaincy experience and finally looks comfortable about leading the Maroons around after the retirement of Thurston, Cronk, Smith and Inglis.
Paul Suttor (NRL.com editor)
Matt Gillett. Unlike some of the other options, he's an automatic selection who has been a permanent fixture in the team apart from last year when he was out due to injury and he also has the ability to unite the current and former players to all be pulling in the same direction.
Maria Tsialis (Big League editor)
Michael Morgan has shown he rises to the occasion when he is under the pump and there is no greater place for this to be put on show than Origin. He's cool, calm and collected plus he's well-liked by fans - a perfect combination.
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Chris Kennedy (NRL.com reporter)
For me it has to be Daly Cherry-Evans. The captain needs to be a certain selection, a senior player, and ideally an 80-minute player who is a club captain and preferably one who could be in the role for a few years. Cameron Munster I think would be best served focusing on his own game for now while Michael Morgan isn't a guaranteed starter in his preferred positions. The maturity and development of DCE in recent years makes him far and away the best option.
Alicia Newton (NRL.com reporter)
Matt Gillett. His return from a neck injury is inspirational and he's been around Queensland's successful era since 2012. With almost 200 NRL games under his belt and 18 Origins to his name, it would be a welcome reward for the Broncos forward who never gives up and wears his heart on his sleeve at all levels.
Joel Gould (NRL.com reporter)
Daly Cherry-Evans has done an excellent job as captain of Manly and he has made it clear that he wants to captain the Queensland Maroons. The extra responsibility is something he relishes and he thrives when he is ‘the man' in any team. Michael Morgan could do the job well but Cherry-Evans, as the incumbent Queensland half and in the form he has shown so far this season, is more suited to the role as a playmaker in the Queensland spine. Morgan's time will come.
Mary Konstantopoulos (Ladies Who League)
It's certainly a period of change for the Queensland Maroons and incredibly, despite being out of favour with selectors for some time, Daly Cherry-Evans is the man to lead the Queensland into the next era. He is a talented player, has a positive rapport with the referee's and plenty of captaincy experience. It's time for him to lead not just at a club level, but a state level too.
Corey Rosser (NRL.com reporter)
Daly Cherry-Evans. He is likely to be among the first players picked in the squad for the foreseeable future and has shown himself to be a good leader at club level for Manly. In the intense heat of the Origin arena you need a composed captain, which is exactly what you'll get with 'DCE'.
Jonathan Healy (NRL.com reporter)
Daly Cherry-Evans and Matt Scott are the obvious choices, but don't be surprised to see Cameron Munster elevated straight into the top job. The Storm five-eighth is one of the best players in the competition and this could be the Maroons best chance of winning the series.
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Lone Scout (NRL Fantasy expert)
His won't get a start in his preferred position with Cameron Munster and Daly Cherry-Evans set to line up in the halves, but the versatile Michael Morgan is a respected leader at club level and can do the job from the centres. He may just get the edge over DCE for the captaincy.
Dan Walsh (NRL.com reporter)
Daly Cherry-Evans. As halfback DCE will be guiding this team around the paddock in any case and for Kevin Walters to hand him the captaincy would be unequivocal backing that this is now his team after his struggles to gel with Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith. The best man for the job, and the job will get the best out of him.
Kenny Scott (NRL.com podcaster)
Looking over the current Queensland roster, with GI now retired, there are really no names that stand out as a leader, other than that of Daly Cherry-Evans. So, in perhaps the biggest sign that the Queensland dynasty years are dead, the man once shunned by his state will now be chosen as the one to lead them out of the mire. Rugby league truly is pure theatre!
Michael Chammas (NRL.com chief reporter)
Matt Gillett. Daly Cherry-Evans has got too much on his plate running the attack and serving as the team's goal-kicker, while Gillett has runs on the board as an Origin player and can lead from the front.
