"Dearden's time": Maroons star throws down gauntlet for Ashes tour

“It’s Tom Dearden’s time!”.

That was Billy Slater's mantra after making the bold decision to choose Dearden as halfback in place of long-serving captain Daly Cherry-Evans following Queensland’s series opening loss in Brisbane.

The Maroons coach repeated the catch cry after Dearden repaid his faith to win the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series following Wednesday night's 24-12 victory in the decider at Accor Stadium.

Yet the 24-year-old playmaker played down suggestions that he was also ready to take over the Kangaroos No.7 jersey for the end-of-season Ashes series in England.

“I think Nathan Cleary is the best player in the game, so he's the No.7 no matter what,” Dearden said of his opposing Blues halfback.

“Of course, I'd love to be involved in the squad but it's something that we don't have to think about until the end of the year.”

Cleary and newly installed Queensland captain Cameron Munster were the Australian halves in the World Cup final against Toa Samoa at Old Trafford after the four-times premiership winner unseated Cherry-Evans during the tournament.

However, both Cleary and Munster were ruled out of last year’s Pacific Championships and Dearden got his chance alongside Mitchell Moses, winning player of the final after Australia’s 20-14 defeat of Tonga.

“There are so many great players for the Kangaroos, so I don't know what they're going to do, but I'd certainly love to be involved in the squad and be a part of the conversations,” he said.

“But it's out of my control and all I can worry about is going back and playing good footy for the Cowboys.”

Dearden was an undisputed winner of the player of the match award in Origin III after scoring two tries, having a hand in two others and producing a stunning trysaving tackle on Brian To’o.

He also ran 148m with the ball, produced a line break and a tackle break and kept NSW pinned down their end to finish with 509 metres but statistics only give a glimpse of how heavily involved Dearden was in defence and attack.

“I think it's just probably being a bit lucky, where I’ve played in teams that have played really well,” Dearden said.

“When you have such great players around you, it makes my job so easy. I just really enjoy competing and I love representing my state, and I think that just brings out the best in you.

“We speak about just that competing hard and trying to accumulate all those little moments and little effort areas in the game. They end up leading to big moments ultimately.

“It's just a special team to be a part of and that's the whole group, that's the staff, the players and all the people that are involved.

“We're lucky where we have some of the Origin greats coaching us. Billy just does a great job of making you believe in your own game and going out there and doing that.”

Slater said it had been a hard decision to drop Cherry-Evans after Queensland’s 18-6 loss in Origin I but Dearden had earned his spot after filling in for Munster during last year’s series and in the Pacific Championships.

“One thing I will say is that Daly Cherry-Evans has been a wonderful halfback and a wonderful captain for this team over a long period of time, so that's the first thing I want to acknowledge, but I just felt it was Tom Dearden's time,” Slater said.

“It is Tom Dearden’s time now to step up and rise to that position and he's done that.

“He's sitting in there with a couple of medallions around his neck and you don't get that because people predict things about you, you get that because you earn them through your actions out on fields.

“He's probably one of the best competitors I've ever seen play the game. He was ready, he has been a part of this squad for a number of years now and it was his time.”