Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Laurie Daley will have to overcome an 11 per cent win record in Origin matches where NSW could have won the shield under his stewardship to engineer one of the biggest upsets in Blues history.
Daley will lead NSW as rank underdogs at Suncorp Stadium next Wednesday, having won just one from nine games as coach when the Origin shield was on the line across his two spells in charge.
Win or lose, the July 8 decider is expected to be Daley’s last as Blues coach as his original two-year contract comes to an end.
Daley wouldn’t be drawn on his future as the Blues began game three preparations on Monday, and whether victory would see him pursue reappointment. An upset on Queensland soil would be his first win in a decider as coach in five attempts – NSW having lost deciders in 2013, 2015, 2017 and last year.w
The Blues have won the first match in five of the seven series Daley has been in charge.
But as highlighted by AAP, only once – in the famous 2014 triumph – have they capitalised with a series-sealing victory in games two or three under his watch, making for the most unflattering of records with the Origin shield there to be won.
NSW were but 40 minutes from securing the second series win of Daley’s coaching career when they held a 12-8 halftime lead in Melbourne.
But a 36-point second-half blitz not only kept Queensland alive, but has given them considerable momentum and warm favouritism for the final clash on home turf.
As a player, Daley captained NSW to their first Lang Park victory in the 1994 decider, a feat repeated for just the third time in 2024 under predecessor Michael Maguire.
While NSW prevailed 14-4 in an epic 2024 contest that didn’t see a try scored until the 65th minute, they completely missed the jump in last year’s decider, trailed 20-0 at halftime and lost what was later described as “the unloseable series”.
Skipper Isaah Yeo said mounting criticism of Daley and his coaching was “unwarranted” and that lessons from the Blues’ 2025 capitulation at Accor Stadium would ring throughout their preparations for game three.
“We had our reflections on that game three first-off at our camp in February,” Yeo said. “When you miss the mark like that, and we certainly did, you have to make sure you learn from it.
“We just lost too many moments, I don’t know whether they seemed big or small for fans watching on TV, but Queensland did a wonderful job of capitalising on them and that’s what we have to take into this next challenge.”
Yeo is one of nine survivors from the Blues’ 2024 upset at Suncorp Stadium and both he and Daley spoke of replicating NSW’s first-half effort in Melbourne – their best of the series.
Asked about flipping the well-worn Origin narrative of Queensland springing upsets, Daley said: “We just have to win. And I think at half-time in game two, I don’t think there’d be too many people that would have been critical of the way we were going.
“So we are doing things right. There’s nothing to suggest we can’t go to Queensland and win game three. You’re going to have to dig deep. They don’t give you anything up there or anything for free, so you’ve got to work hard. But the reward at the end of the day is something that you never forget.”
Throughout Origin history, the Maroons have dominated game three when the series has still been alive, winning 16 deciders to six from NSW, with the 1999 and 2002 series ending in draws.
Daley will coach his 21st Origin game next Wednesday, a figure topped among Blues mentors by only Phil Gould (24 games), with the first five campaigns of Daley’s career coming against a cavalcade of Queensland legends and the most dominant side in Origin history.
“Obviously Loz has copped his fair share of criticism this series and it’s certainly not warranted to me,” Yeo said.
“He gives us an unbelievable game plan, he gives us absolute confidence and faith that we can go out there and do a job, and then ultimately it’s up to us to go out and repay that.
“He’s a wonderful man, he’s done a lot for this jersey and he’d certainly deserve [a series victory]. It’s on us to deliver that.”
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