KEVIN Walters has thrown down the challenge to Queensland’s next generation of playmakers, with the Maroons coach declaring the famous No.7 Origin jumper  up for grabs.

The Queensland scrumbase will have a new look next season following halfback Cooper Cronk’s decision to join Johnathan Thurston in representative retirement in the wake of Australia’s World Cup triumph.

That leaves the Maroons missing a staggering 59 games of Origin experience in the halves – and now Walters is beginning the search for his next championship scrumbase alliance.

Walters says five players – Michael Morgan, Daly Cherry-Evans, Corey Norman, Ash Taylor and Ben Hunt – will battle it out for the right to replace Cronk in the Queensland Origin halfback hot seat next season.

Maroons powerbrokers will be forced to accelerate their succession plan following Cronk’s surprise revelation that he will retire from representative football to focus on his new club, the Roosters, in 2018.

Morgan is considered the hot favourite to replace Cronk.

He produced career-best form in the No.7 jumper to steer the Cowboys to last year’s NRL grand final before teaming with Cronk to spearhead Australia’s World Cup final defeat of England last December.

But Walters insists Morgan is not Cronk’s automatic successor, challenging the Cowboys playmaker and a raft of Origin rivals to prove they are ready to step up in the No.7 jumper.

“I’m not naming a replacement for Cooper right now,” Walters said.

“We’ll be picking the team on form – this is the chance for someone to put their hand up.

“I’ll certainly be looking at Michael Morgan. He showed at the back end of the year with the Cowboys what he can do in the No.7 jumper, but the (Queensland halfback) spot is wide open.

“Morgo can certainly play both half and five-eighth. He proved with the Cowboys this year that he can handle both positions and to nudge out (Cameron) Munster in the Australian World Cup team was a great effort.

“We have some good depth at halfback. Ben Hunt, Daly Cherry-Evans, Corey Norman, Ash Taylor and ‘Morgo’ are all in my sights for next season.

“It all depends how they start next year. It’s important guys are playing well at the right time.”

Already bracing for life without Thurston in the No.6 jumper, Walters admits he was blindsided when he received a phone call from Cronk on December 1 – just 24 hours before the World Cup final.

“I didn’t think Cooper would pull the pin,” he said.

“I was a bit shocked.

“When he signed with the Roosters, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I was hopeful he would play on.

“(But) I can understand where Cooper is coming from.

“He wants to give everything to the Roosters in his final couple of years. He has done a lot of great things for Queensland over the years and to win last year’s series the way it worked out, it was always going to be hard to top that for him personally.

“We’d lost Johnathan, so I was keen for Cooper to go on. It’s a bit sad he’s not going to be there, but this just opens up an opportunity for one of our younger guys to step up.”