Cherry-Evans thankful for PM’s 13 shot

SYDNEY: Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, pictured, credits coming in from the representative cold for Queensland this year as the key to his goal of regaining his Australian jersey after four long years.
The Manly skipper was named captain of the Prime Minister’s 13 on Wednesday to face the PNG Kumuls in Port Moresby on October 6.
“Since I got the opportunity to play rep footy again through representing Queensland [Origin III in July] to try and make Australia was the next thing on the agenda,” Cherry-Evans said.
The last of his 11 test appearances came in 2014.
And it seems it will be an armchair ride into the No.7 jersey because of an ongoing neck injury to Penrith skipper James Maloney.
Australia coach Mal Meninga said last week that the halfback jersey for the two-test tour to New Zealand next month was a two-man race between Cherry-Evans and Maloney following Cooper Cronk’s retirement.
But on Wednesday as Prime Minister Scott Morrison named the PM’s 13 squad, Meninga said he’d since been told Maloney was now unavailable due to a few niggling injuries.
For Cherry-Evans, he just wants the chance to wear the green-and-gold again.
“I’m really pleased to have that first opportunity to play in the Prime Minister’s game to press my claims for the tour ahead.”
Australia play New Zealand (October 13) and Tonga (Oct 20) at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.
Cherry-Evans said getting back into the Origin arena (his last game was in 2015) gave him hope that returning to the Kangaroos wasn’t just a pipe dream. – NRL.com