12 months passed: How long does it take to heal old wounds for the Maroons
Whether it’s a late night knock on their hotel door or a phone call from Billy Slater, 12 months have passed for the last minute calls of Queensland’s Tom Dearden and Corey Oates. Both at different stages of their NRL careers, the pair have gone through a similar but very different journey in the past year to take their place in the Ampol Country of Origin decider. For Dearden, who came to the Origin arena on his debut, the past year has included going from the next best-half Broncos prodigy to being an outcast, then moving north to Townsville to relaunch his career. With just four wins in 22 appearances in three difficult seasons at the Broncos, Dearden has turned his Cowboys career around and if he starts from five-eighth on Wednesday night, becomes a vital cog in Queensland’s attack. “If you had gone back 12 months or even six months ago, I wouldn’t have imagined myself coming to these camps,” Dearden said on Sunday. “To be able to get my debut now, it’s unreal and it’s a really goo