NRL finals performances of Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Friend highlight Maroons depth Daly Cherry-Evans has been arguably Manly's best player this season. IT'S NRL grand final week, so there is one main thing on our minds. Yep, State of Origin. And the performances of Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Friend on the weekend only served to underline the fearsome depth on offer for Queensland's Origin future. While this state has a fair share of rusted-on fans of the Roosters and Sea Eagles and your friends know who you are, so there is no need to come to work all week in your team colours grand finals always sparkle a bit brighter when there's a few Queenslanders among the teams. The past two weeks, Cherry-Evans, who looked born for Origin when he played off the bench in the last two games of this year's series, has been firing as well as Wendell Sailor's book publicity strategy for a Manly team bent but not broken by the stern physical tests it has had to overcome. By contrast, the finals series has provided no encouragement for NSW coach Laurie Daley that Rabbitohs halfback Adam Reynolds is ready for Origin next year. Reynolds was unveiled in July as "exhibit A" by the Sydney media as the playmaker to guide the Blues to Origin's promised land after Mitchell Pearce's fourth series loss. Jake Friend has shined for the Roosters. But Reynolds' kicking game, especially late in the count, was sorely lacking in Souths' 30-20 loss to Manly. Fox Sports statistics tell the full story: one run for 12 metres; no line breaks, no tackle busts, no line break assists, no try assists. That's two games in a row he's scored duck eggs in the above stats. No chief playmaker is going to escape scrutiny when his team leads a preliminary final 14-0 and loses. It all opens up the delicious prospect for Queenslanders of Pearce being given the keys to the Blues mobile again in 2014 on the basis that he is the premiership halfback for the Roosters. There is lots of time over summer for Daley and his selectors to talk themselves into the idea that they are on to something in persevering with Pearce's club association with James Maloney at Origin level. Pearce has been NSW's half for the past 11 Origin games, with his attacking kick choices particularly lacking in judgment. Pearce is a tough little, uh, rooster, but not in Cherry-Evans' league, especially when it comes to running with the football to where the defensive line least wants it. Two of Cherry-Evans' runs to South Sydney's left-side defence led to Manly tries in the second half at ANZ Stadium. Channel 9 commentators and Sunday Mail columnist Mal Meninga noticed and marvelled at Cherry-Evans' relaxed, wise-cracking ways as the Sea Eagles walked out for the second half against Souths eight behind. Cameras also spotted him trading a joke with a Manly trainer after the try which brought Manly back to a two-point deficit. With Cooper Cronk and Cherry-Evans, it could have been said for some time that Australia's best two halfbacks have hailed from Queensland. Same as the best two fullbacks in Australia, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis. And the best two hookers as well, Cameron Smith and Jake Friend. You still think Robbie Farah is one of the best two No.9s in Australia? Add continuing good health for Johnathan Thurston, favourite to win another Dally M award tomorrow night from five-eighth, and that's the spine taken care of from a Queensland Origin point of view. Even after his panicky chip-kick for no one with NSW's last throw of the dice in the third Origin game this year? Big players impact on big games and Friend, still only 23, has worked as slickly in concert with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Sonny Bill Williams and his Roosters playmakers in the finals as he did earlier . It would be nothing less than Friend's form in the past year or so deserves if he is allowed to trade in "reformed bad boy" as the media's pat first phrase of description of him for something better, like "premiership player." And, of course, Manly No.9 Matt Ballin's 100 per cent Origin record for the Maroons still gleams like as a pin as brightly as on the night it was forged in 2010 on Smith's day off. His workrate remains first-class at the age of 29, and Ballin was recognised by Nine's commentators as the best player on the field against the Rabbitohs on Friday night. When it comes to options in key positions, it's enough to make you dissatisfied only that it's eight months until State of Origin cranks up again.