Painful memories: Daley knows the Origin job not done
If Laurie Daley needs any reminder that State of Origin has not been won yet by NSW, he need look no further than Payne Haas.
Dominant on one leg in last month's series opener in Brisbane, a now fully-fit Haas has the chance to lead NSW's pack to a second straight series win in Perth on Wednesday night.
For Queensland to come back and win this series would take one of the all-time great Origin revivals.
Billy Slater is facing heat for the first time as an Origin coach, Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans has been axed and Queensland must win in both Perth and Sydney.
But Daley has been in an eerily similar position before.
In his last stint as Blues coach, NSW produced one of their finest wins in years when they beat Queensland 28-4 in the Suncorp Stadium series opener.
Andrew Fifita had one of the all-time great games by a NSW prop, running 183 metres and busting 11 tackles.
Fifita was kept far quieter three weeks later in Sydney, and Johnathan Thurston led a second-half comeback while playing with one fit arm.
Three weeks later the Maroons won their 10th series in 11 years, and Daley was done as coach.
"Every Origin game is different," Daley said.
"You know it's going to be tough and you've just got to have that tough mentality to go to the game and not expect anything to happen for you.
"You've got to make it happen. Our forwards just need to be onside and go as hard as they did in game one."
Haas also knows as well as anyone how hard Queensland will come at him in Perth.
After Fifita ran roughshod over the Maroons eight years ago, it was Haas the Maroons looked to in their search for answers.
Playing under-20s for Brisbane at the time, the then-17-year-old Haas was called in for an opposed session and told to mimic Fifita.
He was target No.1. The Maroons pack of Josh Papalii, Jarrod Wallace, Tim Glasby, Dylan Napa and Josh McGuire plotted how they would take down the Blues' big man.
"The were keen to get into me," Haas recalled.
"It was a bit crazy.
"I know what Queensland is about and how much they hate us and resent us."
Haas has no doubt it will be the same again from Queensland this week, with Slater a senior player in 2017 and coach now.
"We spoke about it straight after the first game that the job's not done," Haas said.
"We know Queensland's going to bounce back pretty hard. They always do when their backs are against the wall."
The 2017 series loss was not Daley's first such defeat as coach, after the Blues also led the 2013 campaign 1-0 and dropped the decider in Sydney.
The drought-breaking victory did come in 2014 after a game-one win at Suncorp, but Daley does not subscribe to deep lessons from those results.
"I always say Origins are such small margins," Daley said.
"The result can change on one decision, one bounce of the ball. There's not much between the two teams.
"If you're off a touch or you make errors, you get punished for them. Even last time I was in charge, we lost four games by a combined total of seven points.
"Anything can happen."
If Laurie Daley needs any reminder that State of Origin has not been won yet by NSW, he need look no further than Payne Haas.
Dominant on one leg in last month's series opener in Brisbane, a now fully-fit Haas has the chance to lead NSW's pack to a second straight series win in Perth on Wednesday night.
For Queensland to come back and win this series would take one of the all-time great Origin revivals.
Billy Slater is facing heat for the first time as an Origin coach, Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans has been axed and Queensland must win in both Perth and Sydney.
But Daley has been in an eerily similar position before.
In his last stint as Blues coach, NSW produced one of their finest wins in years when they beat Queensland 28-4 in the Suncorp Stadium series opener.
Andrew Fifita had one of the all-time great games by a NSW prop, running 183 metres and busting 11 tackles.
Fifita was kept far quieter three weeks later in Sydney, and Johnathan Thurston led a second-half comeback while playing with one fit arm.
Three weeks later the Maroons won their 10th series in 11 years, and Daley was done as coach.
"Every Origin game is different," Daley said.
"You know it's going to be tough and you've just got to have that tough mentality to go to the game and not expect anything to happen for you.
"You've got to make it happen. Our forwards just need to be onside and go as hard as they did in game one."
Haas also knows as well as anyone how hard Queensland will come at him in Perth.
After Fifita ran roughshod over the Maroons eight years ago, it was Haas the Maroons looked to in their search for answers.
Playing under-20s for Brisbane at the time, the then-17-year-old Haas was called in for an opposed session and told to mimic Fifita.
He was target No.1. The Maroons pack of Josh Papalii, Jarrod Wallace, Tim Glasby, Dylan Napa and Josh McGuire plotted how they would take down the Blues' big man.
"The were keen to get into me," Haas recalled.
"It was a bit crazy.
"I know what Queensland is about and how much they hate us and resent us."
Haas has no doubt it will be the same again from Queensland this week, with Slater a senior player in 2017 and coach now.
"We spoke about it straight after the first game that the job's not done," Haas said.
"We know Queensland's going to bounce back pretty hard. They always do when their backs are against the wall."
The 2017 series loss was not Daley's first such defeat as coach, after the Blues also led the 2013 campaign 1-0 and dropped the decider in Sydney.
The drought-breaking victory did come in 2014 after a game-one win at Suncorp, but Daley does not subscribe to deep lessons from those results.
"I always say Origins are such small margins," Daley said.
"The result can change on one decision, one bounce of the ball. There's not much between the two teams.
"If you're off a touch or you make errors, you get punished for them. Even last time I was in charge, we lost four games by a combined total of seven points.
"Anything can happen."
If Laurie Daley needs any reminder that State of Origin has not been won yet by NSW, he need look no further than Payne Haas.
Dominant on one leg in last month's series opener in Brisbane, a now fully-fit Haas has the chance to lead NSW's pack to a second straight series win in Perth on Wednesday night.
For Queensland to come back and win this series would take one of the all-time great Origin revivals.
Billy Slater is facing heat for the first time as an Origin coach, Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans has been axed and Queensland must win in both Perth and Sydney.
But Daley has been in an eerily similar position before.
In his last stint as Blues coach, NSW produced one of their finest wins in years when they beat Queensland 28-4 in the Suncorp Stadium series opener.
Andrew Fifita had one of the all-time great games by a NSW prop, running 183 metres and busting 11 tackles.
Fifita was kept far quieter three weeks later in Sydney, and Johnathan Thurston led a second-half comeback while playing with one fit arm.
Three weeks later the Maroons won their 10th series in 11 years, and Daley was done as coach.
"Every Origin game is different," Daley said.
"You know it's going to be tough and you've just got to have that tough mentality to go to the game and not expect anything to happen for you.
"You've got to make it happen. Our forwards just need to be onside and go as hard as they did in game one."
Haas also knows as well as anyone how hard Queensland will come at him in Perth.
After Fifita ran roughshod over the Maroons eight years ago, it was Haas the Maroons looked to in their search for answers.
Playing under-20s for Brisbane at the time, the then-17-year-old Haas was called in for an opposed session and told to mimic Fifita.
He was target No.1. The Maroons pack of Josh Papalii, Jarrod Wallace, Tim Glasby, Dylan Napa and Josh McGuire plotted how they would take down the Blues' big man.
"The were keen to get into me," Haas recalled.
"It was a bit crazy.
"I know what Queensland is about and how much they hate us and resent us."
Haas has no doubt it will be the same again from Queensland this week, with Slater a senior player in 2017 and coach now.
"We spoke about it straight after the first game that the job's not done," Haas said.
"We know Queensland's going to bounce back pretty hard. They always do when their backs are against the wall."
The 2017 series loss was not Daley's first such defeat as coach, after the Blues also led the 2013 campaign 1-0 and dropped the decider in Sydney.
The drought-breaking victory did come in 2014 after a game-one win at Suncorp, but Daley does not subscribe to deep lessons from those results.
"I always say Origins are such small margins," Daley said.
"The result can change on one decision, one bounce of the ball. There's not much between the two teams.
"If you're off a touch or you make errors, you get punished for them. Even last time I was in charge, we lost four games by a combined total of seven points.
"Anything can happen."
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