As the World Cup nears, one of the key debates for the Australian team is who should be the halfback. The Kangaroos haven’t played a Test since 2019, and Daly Cherry-Evans is the incumbent. DCE has outpointed the heir apparent Nathan Cleary in Origin matches, but the Panthers star is aiming for a third grand final while Cherry-Evans will be watching on after a dismal finish to the season for his Manly team.

This debate has been going on in Australian football for more than 100 years. Arthur Halloway went away in the inaugural Kangaroo Tour in 1908-09 as the top halfback, but by 1911 he was usurped by Chris McKivat, who captained that year’s tour squad. Halloway resumed his spot after the Great War, and also had the opportunity to captain the national side.

Duncan Thompson and Viv Thicknesse made the jumper their own in the years between the wars, and in the 1950s Keith Froome, Keith Holman and Barry Muir made the spot their own in succession.

Muir battled Arthur Summons for the position in the early 1960s, with Summons eventually claiming the spot and captaining the 1963 Kangaroos just as a young Billy Smith was coming through the ranks. Smith ended up battling Tom Raudonikis for the coveted spot in the national team, and since the early 1970s it has always been a source of conjecture.

Raudonikis lost his spot in the New South Wales team to Steve Mortimer, who took over the role in Australian team in 1981. On the 1982 Kangaroo Tour, Mortimer lost the spot to Peter Sterling, and the pair battled over the next few years alongside Queensland’s Mark Murray.

Allan Langer won the number seven jumper in 1988, but in subsequent years had to share the role with Greg Alexander, Des Hasler and Ricky Stuart. Geoff Toovey took the role in 1995 during the Super League war, but relinquished it to Langer following the reunification of the game in 1998.

Shortly afterwards Andrew Johns, perhaps the greatest halfback of them all, had to settle for playing second fiddle to Brett Kimmorley on occasions, filling at hooker several times.

Since Johns’ retirement there has been a smooth succession plan for the national halfback role, similar to the 1950s era. Johnathan Thurston had the role for several years before passing it on to Cooper Cronk. Both were among the best players of the modern era, and upon Cronk’s retirement, Daly Cherry-Evans has filled the role with aplomb.

Had it not been for Manly’s implosion in the last two months of the season, there was every chance to believe the Manly skipper could take his place as Australia’s 69th captain. He still may, but the uncapped Nathan Cleary will be breathing down his neck for the duration of the World Cup.

It’s a nice problem for Australian selectors to have. One that has been going for more than a century.