Maroons legend Nate Myles has joined the Queensland camp as part of Paul Green’s coaching staff with captain Daly Cherry-Evans revealing the front-row great will provide a mental edge for the series opener next week.
Myles is one of Queensland’s most-capped forwards with 32 Origin appearances from 2006 to 2017 where he built a reputation as a player who always rose to another level of performance when he pulled on the maroon jersey.
Green has assembled his own who’s who of Queensland Origin greatness in his first year as coach including Johnathan Thurston, Allan Langer and Neil Henry in his bid to mastermind a series triumph after the Maroons’ shock series win in 2020 under Wayne Bennett.
With the Maroons missing experienced front-rower Josh Papalii it will be up to Myles to help compose the young forward pack and get them ready to bring out their best performance in Townsville on June 9.
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“He epitomised what Queensland is about, it’s about playing above your means,” Cherry-Evans told NRL.com.
“If we can all take a bit of that and a bit of Nate Myles it’s going to help us in camp, it’s going to help us prepare because he was the ultimate professional as well.
“Just having him around is going to be great for us because he brought so much to the game and like I said he epitomises what Queensland is all about.”
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Cherry-Evans made his Origin debut alongside Myles back in 2013 and spent two seasons with him in the NRL at Manly where he absorbed many lessons about leadership from the former Test and Origin star.
The Queensland skipper said Myles had taught him about the importance of connection and communication with teammates, a skill which has even greater significance in the short preparation of an Origin campaign.
“He is going to be fantastic for our playing group. I am sure the forwards are going to be a little bit in shock because he has that aura around him,” he said.
“He was such a good player for Queensland and having been an old teammate of Nate’s he was one of the most well-connected teammates I’ve ever played with.
“The way he could get around the room and talk to anyone in the team about any different subject is really cool and it’s actually something I’ve tried to really observe and bring into my leadership was the way he could communicate with anyone in the room.
“I always admired that about Nate and it’s something I definitely have tried to take from his book.
“The young fellas who haven’t met him yet are in for a real treat.”
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