If Blues lose series, NSW should clear the decks … from Trodden and Daley down

Amateur hour. It’s a phrase used to describe a performance that displays a disappointing lack of skill, professionalism or sound judgment.

NSW’s performance in Origin II ticked every one of those boxes.

A lack of skill? Where do you start?

Yes, they’re a team of professional footballers, backed by a professional staff, but that’s only on paper. When facing a blowtorch, the Blues collectively left their practicing certificates at the team hotel.

As for sound judgment, it begins and ends at the selection table. And that’s where it ended for the Blues.

Quite rightly, there will be all hell to pay for coach Laurie Daley and his crew of advisers, whoever they are. They will be hiding under rocks today, hoping someone pinpoints others as the villains.

In the second half at the MCG, Queensland threw a party, piling on 36 points. A rejuvenated Selwyn Cobbo turned in close to a perfect-10 performance. He played like the star he was always destined to be now that he has escaped the strange and confining surrounds of the Broncos and found greener pastures just north of Brisbane at the Dolphins.

Halfback Sam Walker was born for this stage. A prodigy out of the famous Queensland Walker family, he’s been expertly handled at the Roosters under Trent Robinson. An off-the-cuff genius, his instincts are now paired perfectly with the structure needed by a first-class half to keep a team on the same page.

As for Harry Grant and Cam Munster, well, Origin doesn’t seem to be a high-pressure environment for them. They look like a pair of Gen Z individuals on a Bali blowout or in a European summer club. They couldn’t have more fun if they tried.

Collectively, Queensland are like an indie band on the road, seeking adventure at every turn, exposing the Blues as ageing rockers with a stagnant set list.

Maybe this Blues team laced with premiership winners just isn’t good enough.

James Tedesco, Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Brian To’o, Payne Haas … they are all amazing players. Under Daley, unfortunately, they don’t fire. And never have. He’s won one of six series and, in three weeks, it will be one from seven.

To avoid that fate, many changes must be made to freshen up the team.

Tedesco, thanks for the memories. Dylan Edwards is a must at fullback, if only to ignite the Panthers combination of To’o, Cleary and Yeo.

Their old bandmate Stephen Crichton, if fit, has to come back into the centres. As does Latrell Mitchell – again, if fit.

Fitness permitting, throw in Tom Trbojevic on the wing, too. Why not? There’s nothing to lose.

Mitchell Moses will be lucky to hold out Ethan Strange. Leave team management to Cleary and unleash Strange, who is near impossible to handle if he gets on a roll. Again, nothing to lose – except another series.

Cam Murray has to start at No.13, with captain Yeo on the bench or even up front.

Mystifyingly, Haumole Olakau’atu was dumped from the match 19 for Dylan Lucas. That’s an easy one to reverse.

In game one, Blayke Brailey added spark when he replaced Reece Robson at hooker. He’s injured, so Api Koroisau was brought in as the talisman who would haunt a tiring Maroons with his deception out of dummy half. He never even got on. The only deception on display was from team management, who led us to believe Api would be a game-breaker. Weird.

Once the changes are made, Daley then has to somehow match Maroons maestro Billy Slater off the field. An obsessive who watches NRL matches on loop in an office at his mini stud farm in Melbourne, Slater towers over Daley for in-depth knowledge of players.

How can Daley reverse this disaster in three weeks? It looks an impossible task.

If I were him, I’d choose that new line-up and hand them the keys. They know their opponents better than he does. Maybe cede all power to the mighty Panthers brigade of Yeo, Cleary, To’o and Edwards. Or maybe take it away. Their structured football grinds down NRL teams, but Origin has become fast and free.

In that case, is there a place for the likes of Fletcher Sharpe?

If the series is lost in Brisbane, the blowtorch also has to be aimed in the direction of NSWRL headquarters at Homebush.

Chief executive Dave Trodden has been the architect of the mess, bringing back Daley after Michael Maguire’s triumphant cameo in 2024 delivered NSW just their fifth series win in 20 years.

At least Trodden has an easy decision on the horizon: Ivan Cleary wants to coach representative football after he finishes at the Panthers at the end of the 2027 season.

There’s your 2028 Blues coach. Lock him in now before the Kangaroos pinch him.

The problem is, how do NSW find an interim coach for next year while he waits for Cleary? Unless he goes cap in hand to Penrith and asks for him early.

For now, we wait and debate, until the team for game three is announced on June 28.

Speaking of amateur hour, make sure you catch the Blues team announcement live on the NSWRL YouTube channel along with a few thousand others and complete with in-house questions from Trodden and fan queries from a Reddit thread.

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