North Queensland coach Todd Payten says Queensland must start Tom Dearden in the halves

7NEWS17 hours ago

Melbourne's Jahrome Hughes has stolen the spotlight from his North Queensland opposite Tom Dearden with the Storm halfback orchestrating a commanding 38-14 victory at AAMI Park.
All eyes were on Dearden, who is favoured to usurp Daly Cherry-Evans as Queensland's State of Origin No.7 when teams for game two in Perth are announced.
But reigning Dally M Medallist Hughes was the stand-out from both teams, scoring two tries and setting up two more as well as nine tackle-busts in one of his best performances of the season.
Despite the loss, North Queensland coach Todd Payten says if Queensland want to win the second State of Origin match to level the series, they need to start Dearden in the halves.
Cherry-Evans, 36, failed to ignite the Queensland attack in game one in Brisbane, which NSW dominated to win 18-6.
And Payten was firm in his belief that the 24-year-old was ready to be picked to wear the No.7 jersey rather than have a bench role for the June 18 match.
Dearden has already done the job for the Kangaroos, steering Australia to victory over Tonga in the Pacific Cup final last November, while he also impressed in the Maroons No.6 jumper in the absence of Cameron Munster last year.
'You're asking the wrong person, I know he's ready, it's just not my decision,' Payten said after the Storm match.
'Selfishly, I'd love him to come off the bench, but if they want to win, I'd be putting him in the halves.'
Dearden downplayed the selection quandary for Queensland coach Billy Slater, saying he was only focused on the Cowboys.
'I wasn't really looking at it as an audition,' he said.
'I thought like I probably could have been a lot better with helping us with direction and then handing the ball over in the right area, so there's probably a few areas I need to look at from that performance.'
Melbourne skipper Harry Grant, who had an uncharacteristically poor Origin outing after being hobbled by a hamstring injury, looked back to his best against North Queensland.
'I had a pretty clear focus of what I needed to work on from that (Origin) game it sort of hurt not being able to play after that, against the Titans, and that was just precautionary with the hamstring,' the hooker said.
'I had a pretty narrow focus and it was pleasing to just get a win for the team and everyone sort of played their role within our game plan.'
His Storm teammate Stefano Utoikamanu also put his hand up to replace Mitch Barnett in the NSW squad, with the Warriors prop ruled out for the season with an ACL rupture.
Utoikamanu and Keaon Koloamatangi are the favourites to take Barnett's spot with the Melbourne forward named 19th man in the Blues squad for game one when he was on stand-by for an injured Payne Haas.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, who is an advisor to the NSW coach Laurie Daley and will join the squad in Perth, said Utoikamanu had pushed his case for selection.
'You think he'd be right up there in the firing line, I think he's a real big chance,' Bellamy said.
'He was really solid, and some of his runs really stood out and I'm sure Laurie will be looking at his defence as well and hopefully for Stef, he'll line up in the next game.'