Latest news with #LaurieDaley
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'None the wiser': Laurie Daley's worrying admission as NSW Origin mistake exposed
NSW coach Laurie Daley says he's 'still none-the-wiser' about what the Blues could have done differently to avoid a humbling Origin series defeat against Queensland. That's despite widespread criticism about the Blues' tactical shortcomings and a glaring mistake they made during the 24-12 defeat to the Maroons in last Wednesday's series decider in Sydney. Former NRL star Jamie Soward and league podcaster Nathan Durkin - AKA the Rugby League Guru - discussed the Blues' questionable tactics after the Game 3 defeat. And both agreed with the likes of league Immortal Andrew Johns that NSW failed to cope with the Maroons' line speed and rushed defence, or come up with a 'Plan B' to their opponents' suffocating defence. They couldn't fathom why it essentially took until the end of the game for NSW five-eighth Jarome Luai to identify the space behind Queensland's defensive line by kicking short to set up a try for Brian To'o, especially when they'd used the tactic to good effect in Game 2. "What they (Queensland) were doing was working, so you've got to do something to counteract that and we just never did it," Durkin said on the Rugby League Guru podcast. "It took us 70 minutes to start kicking in behind and f***ing shock me, Brian To'o scores." Soward agreed, adding: "And we had the formula in Game 2. To'o got the first try and then Crichton got a try in Game 2 doing that, where they look out the back... we had the answers there." The Blues' inability to adapt and move away from a structured style that simply wasn't working has been scrutinised around the league world. But speaking on Sky's Big Sports Breakfast on Monday, Daley worryingly admitted that he's still at a loss to explain how NSW let the series slip and will need to conduct a thorough review with the Blues' coaching staff to figure it out. "(I'm) just trying to recover from Wednesday night. It'll take a while to get over," Daley said on Monday. "We expected a better performance, obviously, just trying to scratch my head on why, why we had a performance like that. The first couple of days were tough. "But you've just got to go through the review, which won't be great, at some point, and look to be even better than what we were." The NSW coach said after Game 3 that his side lost "the moments" in the Origin decider but has failed to address many of the key issues that critics have identified. Daley said he took 'full accountability' for the loss and has been backed by NSW bosses to continue in the role after declaring he's the right man for the job. But his Origin coaching record now stands at just one series victory in six campaigns, with calls growing louder for Daley to be replaced and the coach trying to get to the bottom of his latest series defeat. "That has to start with the coaches, me in particular. I've got to look at myself and make sure that I go through what I did to see whether that was the best I could have done," he said. "Are there other things that I could've done that could've made a big difference? "Going on what I felt after the game, I'm still none-the-wiser because I just was so happy with the way that we prepared and the way that we went about it ...Our preparation was as good as I've seen." But after a series loss rated by pundits among the side's darkest hours, alongside the 1995 and 2020 series losses, Daley accepts that the buck ultimately stops with him. RELATED: Nathan Cleary lifts the lid on father Ivan's act after heartbreak Sam Walker's future cast into doubt after news about father and uncle Cooper Cronk calls out worrying Reece Walsh moment for Broncos "I have to take full accountability for all that because I'm the leader," he said. "I get that, I understand that, people's frustrations. That's what you want around State of Origin, you want people to be emotional about it because they care." with AAP
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Beaten NSW coach Laurie Daley still reeling nearly a week after losing series decider
The full post-mortem of NSW's State of Origin capitulation is yet to come, but beaten Blues coach Laurie Daley says he's still 'trying to recover' nearly a week after a Queensland ambush delivered the Maroons a remarkable series win. Daley, who took over from Michael Maguire who steered NSW to the shield in 2024, returned to his day job on Sydney radio on Monday, declaring that he would 'have to take full responsibility' after his team lost the final two games. Having already stated his intention to coach on in 2026, as per his contract, Daley conceded losing would haunt him for some time. 'I'm trying to recover from Wednesday night. It will take a while to get over. I've been reflecting,' Daley said. 'The first couple of days were tough. We expected a better performance, obviously, so I've been scratching my head (and asking) why? Why did we have a performance like that? 'That has to start with the coaches, me in particular. I've got to look at myself and make sure I go through what I did to see whether that was the best I could have done. 'As head coach, I have to take full accountability because I'm the leader. I get that, I understand that. 'Going on what I felt after the game, I'm still none-the-wiser because I was so happy with the way we prepared and went about it. 'We have to find out what happened and why we weren't ready to go out at our best.' Daley told the Big Sports Breakfast that there were staff meetings to come this week and other debriefs where all questions would be asked 'Coaches meetings to come, leadership meetings. There is a lot to still happen behind the scenes,' he said. 'You want to get it while it's fresh – the thoughts about the week, the game, what do we need to do better, why did we miss the jump? All those things.' The Blues carried injured players into the game, including Payne Haas and Brian To'o, but Daley defended the decision to take them into the decider. 'Brian and Payne had limited preparations in games one and two and they were players-of-the-match in games one and two,' Daley said. 'With that body of work behind them, you trust them. Look at Brian's performance, he was great. He carried the ball 25, 26 times.' Daley said nothing could change the result, but he would work to change the future. 'No matter what I say today, we have to fix what happened. It was disappointing, very disappointing, but what do you do? You've got to move forward,' he said 'There'll be times when you reflect and you go over things. 'You've got to front up.'
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Laurie Daley's blunt admission after State of Origin disaster
The full post-mortem of NSW's State of Origin capitulation is yet to come but beaten Blues coach Laurie Daley says he's still 'trying to recover' nearly a week after a Queensland ambush delivered the Maroons a remarkable series win. Daley, who took over from Michael Maguire who steered NSW to the shield in 2024, returned to his day job on Sydney radio on Monday, declared that he would ' have to take full responsibility' after his team lost the final two games. Having already stated his intention to coach on in 2026, as per his contract, Daley conceded losing would haunt him for some time. 'I'm trying to recover from Wednesday night. It will take a while to get over. I've been reflecting,' Daley said on Big Sports Breakfast. 'The first couple of days were tough. We expected a better performance, obviously, so I've been scratching my head (and asking) why? Why did we have a performance like that? 'That has to start with the coaches, me in particular. I've got to look at myself and make sure I go through what I did to see whether that was the best I could have done. 'As head coach, I have to take full accountability because I'm the leader. I get that, I understand that. 'Going on what I felt after the game, I'm still none-the-wiser because I was so happy with the way we prepared and went about it. 'We have to find out what happened and why we weren't ready to go out at our best.' Daley said there were staff meetings to come this week and other debriefs where all questions would be asked 'Coaches meetings to come, leadership meetings. There is a lot to still happen behind the scenes,' he said. 'You want to get it while it's fresh – the thoughts about the week, the game, what do we need to do better, why did we miss the jump. All those things.' The Blues carried injured players into the game including Payne Haas and Brian To'o but defended the decision to take them into the decider. 'Brian and Payne had limited preparations in games one and two and they were players-of-the-match in games one and two,' Daley said. 'With that body of work behind them, you trust them. Look at Brian's performance, he was great. He carried the ball 25, 26 times.' Daley said nothing could change the result, but he would work to change the future. 'No matter what I say today, we have to fix what happened. It was disappointing, very disappointing, but what do you do? You've got to move forward,' he said 'There'll be times when you reflect and you go over things. 'You've got to front up.'
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
NSW chiefs make call on Laurie Daley's coaching future after State of Origin disaster
Laurie Daley will remain the NSW Blues coach next year despite calls for him to be axed after Wednesday's 24-12 defeat saw the Origin shield head north. NSW has already had three coaches in three years – Brad Fittler, Michael Maguire and Daley – yet after losing the unlosable series, Blues fans were calling for the coach's head. But according to Code Sports, that won't be happening, with NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden confirming his job is safe. 'Laurie is contracted for next year and we don't break contracts,' Trodden said. 'He was devastated after the game and we're all disappointed. 'But you don't achieve sustained success by constantly chopping and changing your coach. You settle on a plan, put processes in place and stick to it. That's what we'll be doing.' Daley stepped back into the Origin arena following an eight-year absence for the 2025 campaign. But he was once again thoroughly outcoached. The 55-year-old has now won just one of six series in charge and on each occasion has shown he is not willing to forego loyalty to make the hard call. Keeping the same 17 for the third and deciding game blew up in his face and backed up the theory that he is simply too nice and too loyal to succeed as a coach at Origin level. Michael Maguire shook things up last year and it led to immediate success. While this year Maroons coach Billy Slater found himself under pressure for the first time, after his side were comprehensively beaten at their Suncorp fortress. So what did he do? He pulled the trigger on several tough selection calls. The decision to drop captain Daly Cherry-Evans and bring in Tom Dearden at halfback after Game 1, is a call if roles were reversed Daley simply wouldn't have made. While he also resisted the temptation to replace the injured Kalyn Ponga with Reece Walsh, instead opting for the more consistent and reliable Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, an inspired decision. Daley on the other hand overlooked two form props in May and Koloamatangi, for King and Utoikamanu. So with Daley back at the helm in 2026, fans will undoubtedly hope he has learned from it. He will also be joined again next year by Storm coach Craig Bellamy and Melbourne's general manager of football Frank Ponissi.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘When I make a decision, it's not a guess': Key moves that helped Billy Slater orchestrate Origin miracle
The blowtorch is being applied to Laurie Daley and the Blues after they capitulated to lose the State of Origin decider, but it's time to shine a light on Billy Slater after the Queensland legend put on a coaching masterclass to win back the shield. His future was being questioned from the moment they lost the opener in Brisbane, and the pressure only intensified when people saw the squad for Perth and wondered whether he had lost the plot. Daly Cherry-Evans was dropped as captain, stars were moved to the bench and veterans recalled in what appeared to be a final throw at the stumps. But while they seemed like gambles, the man who grew up working with horses seemed to pull the right rein every single time as he engineered one of the great series upsets despite being faced with plenty of obstacles along the way. THE MUNNY MAN No coaching manual could have prepared Slater for how to deal with Cameron Munster after the superstar five-eighth lost his father just days before the Origin decider. But he took the coach's hat off and defaulted to being the friend that played with Munster at the Storm and was there as he starred on debut for the Maroons in the 2017 decider. The tears they shed on the field after the game were a reflection of their tough bond and the shared pain they've gone through this year. 'I won't do it justice, but it starts as being a friend,' Slater told the NewsWire in the Accor Stadium sheds after the 24-12 win. 'The moment he told me on the phone, to me turning up in his room, I felt the sadness and I felt the loss. But I also know what he was feeling because I was there four or five months ago. 'He was very unsure about a lot of things, but the only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to play on Wednesday night. 'He didn't know what to do after that, so that's why I pretty much told him what we was going to do. He had to go home and he needed to be with his mum and sister – that was his priority. 'Going through a couple of tragedies over the past few months like I have, I knew he had to be with his family, and that's where we got him.' NOT A CHERRY PICKER Dropping veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans will go down as the series-defining move, with Slater backing Munster as captain and elevating Tom Dearden into the starting side. It was a bold call, it was a tough call, but it was the right call, as Dearden dominated the final two games to win the Wally Lewis Medal. The famed pick-and-stick policy had to change given they weren't winning, with Slater also rewarded for bringing back Josh Papalii for the decider, while the choice to pick Robert Toia after just 10 NRL appearances also worked a treat. 'I don't look for justification,' Slater said, beaming with pride after Gehamat Shibasaki set up a try after earning a shock call-up to make his Origin debut in the decider. 'I knew we had to go and help the Queensland Origin team. When I made that decision with my family, I made it for the right reasons. 'Every decision that I'm a part of is for the right reasons. 'There's scrutiny, there's debate and there's conversation, and I get that. I'm in the media so I completely get it because it's a part of the excitement and attraction of our game. 'But until you're sitting in this position and your opinion means something and you have to live by it … I watch so much footy because that's what this job and the players deserve, so when I make a decision, it's not a guess. It's a calculated decision on what I really feel.' PRIDE OF THE STATE Slater doesn't like ranking career achievements, but this one has to be right up there after they achieved a breakthrough win in Perth to keep the series alive and then ambushed their rivals in Sydney with a faultless first 40 minutes. While the Blues were overly loyal in their selections, Slater was never afraid to make the tough calls that all came off as his troops lifted to bring him another series win. 'This footy team is so special,' he said. 'It was special when I was 10, it was special when I was wearing a pair of footy boots and playing in the team, and it's special now. 'I just love the joy from the players after they achieve something, and then you think about the 5½ million Queenslanders that are inspired by these men. 'There are so many inspirational stories here tonight from Gehamat Shibasaki to Cameron Munster and Josh Papalii. 'There are so many Queenslanders inspired by individuals and collectively inspired by this team's resilience, and that's how Queenslanders live. 'It's no disrespect to anyone else, but that's who we are.'
