This Queensland squad isn’t getting any younger but you can never doubt a champion team until they finally succumb to time.

It makes it easier to tip the Maroons when you go through their team and consider just how much class and talent is at their disposal.

And they’ve still got arguably the smartest player in the game in captain Cameron Smith who veteran Corey Parker believes is the greatest player he has ever played with.

“I believe he’s the best player I’ve ever played with, and I’ve played with some good ones,” Parker told NRL.com.

“He’s smart, he’s very smart. People ask you who is the toughest player you have ever played with and he is the toughest player I’ve played with.

“To play the position that he plays in the middle of the field for 80 minutes and to come up with the decisions and make the plays that he does is pretty special.

“Cameron is the epitome of a role model. He’s done everything in the game, he’s an absolute superstar and will go down as an Immortal I believe but you wouldn’t think that.

“He’s just a humble guy, a knockabout bloke, has no ego and it’s a credit to himself and his parents and his family that he has turned out the way he has.”