Latest news with #QueenslandMaroons
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- 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
14-07-2025
- 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.'
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy star's son melts hearts as he gives State of Origin its cutest moment on live TV
Queensland star Josh Papali'i's young son Noah provided one of the highlights of the team's emotional State of Origin win as he gave a heart-melting TV interview straight after the game. Papali'i - who came out of Origin retirement to play just after the birth of his fourth child - was speaking to Channel Nine's Emma Lawrence straight after the match. 'My family means everything to me,' he said. 'There are three things I care about: that's my faith, my family and obviously this jersey. 'So glad my son's old enough to realise what Dad's doing and hopefully I'm hear in 20 years' time, supporting him.' Lawrence then asked a very shy Noah how he thought his dad went. 'Good,' he replied, before pausing for a few seconds. 'Just worried about the baby at home so my dad could see him and hug him.' 'You're a very good big brother, well done. Very, very, very beautiful heart you have, Noah,' Lawrence said. Papali'i only got 23 minutes of playing time but that was enough for him to lay a platform for his younger teammates and help lead Queensland to yet another upset triumph. The previously-retired veteran representative prop answered coach Billy Slater's SOS call while his wife and newborn son were still in hospital, but was never likely to turn his back on his beloved Maroons. Five tough carries for near-on 40m in his opening stint might not sound like a heap, but when you consider the 33-year-old slept on a hospital chair for multiple nights in the lead-up to Wednesday night's decider, it wasn't a bad innings. He returned for another 10 minutes in the second half of Queensland's 24-12 win to seal a 2-1 series victory. 'I missed the first couple of calls from Bill due to my son being in hospital and my wife as well with a few complications with the birth,' Papali'i said. 'I wasn't going to come back but when I saw Bill's number pop up, I just said 'yes'. 'I knew the value of what I could bring to this footy team, that calmness, just being that calm head among the group.' Papali'i hadn't played Origin since 2022, instead focusing on his club football in Canberra's stellar campaign that's put them top of the NRL ladder. His strong form, and the Maroons' need for a cool head in the middle prompted Slater's call for help. 'I was terrified that he was going to say 'sorry Bill, my days are done' but within a couple of words, I felt he still had that fire in him,' Slater said. 'His wife Sepa had a baby boy the week before, and there were a few complications, and the big fella slept in a hospital chair for a couple of nights, his priority was being a dad and making sure his family was okay. 'That first 15 minutes, he just laid that platform for the rewards to come.' Slater said Papali'i's fellow Samoan-heritage middle Tino Fa'asuamaleaui had been following him around 'like a puppy dog' all through camp - a claim the Gold Coast captain was only too happy to confirm. 'I've been hanging off his hip, just soaking in the time with him and just enjoying it, because it is his last camp,' Fa'asuamaleaui told AAP. 'He's a legend and he's my idol to be honest, since coming in here and in this arena back in 2020 .... I'm just so glad we got to send him off with another win.'
Sky News AU
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Zara and Mike Tindall make surprise appearance in Sydney for the State of Origin as they cheer Maroons to victory
Zara and Mike Tindall have delighted Aussie royal-watchers with a surprise appearance at the State of Origin decider in Sydney - choosing the footy over the Royal box at Wimbledon. The down-to-earth royal couple were spotted in the stands at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night, sitting beside Nicole Slater, wife of Queensland Maroons coach Billy Slater, as they passionately cheered the Maroons to a 24–12 victory over the NSW Blues. Both dressed in Maroons merch, leaving no doubt about where their loyalties lay. Zara, 44, the daughter of Princess Anne, and Mike, 46, a former England rugby union captain and World Cup winner, share a longstanding friendship with the Slaters through their involvement with the Magic Millions racing carnival on the Gold Coast. Zara, an accomplished Olympic equestrian, has been an ambassador for the prestigious thoroughbred run by Harvey Norman owners Gerry Harvey and his wife Katie Page event since 2012. Meanwhile, Billy and Nicole Slater, childhood sweethearts who met at pony club in Queensland, operate their own breeding business, Slater Thoroughbreds. Interestingly, before his decorated NRL career, Billy Slater worked as a trackwork rider for trainer Gai Waterhouse. The Tindalls and Slaters spent plenty of time together at this year's Magic Millions, where Mike even showed off his pipes in a surprise musical performance. Donning a black velvet suit, he joined Nicole, who is also an equine artist, on stage for a duet of Shallow from A Star Is Born. Mike, who co-hosts the podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, will continue travelling across Australia over the coming weeks with co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne. On Wednesday, he told fans via Instagram that the trio will appear at Harvey Norman Macgregor in Brisbane on July 17 for a live show, and later head to Melbourne for the Lions clash at the MCG on July 26. It's unclear whether the Tindalls' three children, Mia, 10, Lena, six, and Lucas, three, have joined them on the trip. However, the family's love of Australia is well-documented, with Zara previously describing the country as "very relaxed" with "incredible" weather. "We love the lifestyle and the weather obviously is incredible. It's just very relaxed. We've got a lot of friends out there," she told The Australian Financial Review earlier this year. Despite longstanding speculation the couple may relocate to Australia, Mike has shut down the rumours. "Everyone keeps telling us we're moving there but we're not," he told Hello!. "It's so far away, especially when you have a big family." Born sixth in line to the throne, Zara now sits 21st in the royal line of succession, just behind the children of her older brother Peter Phillips. Neither Zara nor Peter hold royal titles or undertake official duties on behalf of the Crown. Mike, who married Zara in 2011, has spoken openly about his transition into royal life, describing it as "easier than it could have been." "Believe it or not, marrying into the Royal Family was pretty easy for me," he wrote in his memoir, The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby: Unleashed, released in October. In one passage, widely interpreted as a subtle swipe at Meghan Markle, he added: "They were always nice to me, and I was always nice to them. Simple really."
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Darren Lockyer delivers brutal NSW truth bomb as another Origin series slips through their fingers
Queensland Maroons legend turned commentator Darren Lockyer has delivered a brutal truth that hits NSW where it hurts. The Blues don't have the right attitude to string together a State of Origin dynasty. Heading into Wednesday night's decider, Blues fans had a sense of arrogant confidence that they were about to dominate the Origin arena for several years. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Despite Queensland's unlikely Game 2 win in Perth, that match was largely written off because of ref errors, bad calls and missed kicks. And the Blues cauldron for the decider was widely thought to be too much to handle for a relatively inexperienced Maroons side. But as has happened time and time again in recent decades, Queensland reminded NSW that Origin is not won by having the best team on paper, or the best talent. It is won by the team that as a squad plays the best and most consistent footy. And on Wednesday night they did that again, with their high completion rate and cohesive footy too much for the star-studded Blues as they reclaimed the Shield with a comprehensive 24-12 win in the decider. Much of the immediate talk after the game was on the poor showing of NSW halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai, as well as the pressure being heaped on Laurie Daley, who has now won just one of six series in charge. But Maroons great Lockyer believes NSW's issues lie way beyond a personnel issue. He says the Blues simply cannot handle the pressure of expectation and being favourites. 'I don't think they handled favouritism too well down there,' Lockyer said on Nine. 'You know they went to Suncorp where everyone probably thought they could win that game, but they won convincingly and then they go to Perth. 'Everyone just assumed that was made up. Here. We come out and blitz them in the first half and then tonight when they're playing at home and they've got the personnel to win, but the attitude just wasn't there tonight.' Phil Gould agreed with the Queensland legend stating Queensland year after year win the mental battle. 'You talk about NSW, don't handle favouritism. Queensland handles being underdogs so well. So it was a double-edged sword,' Gould added. 'Queensland handled that tag and being written off so, so well. 'And look that's the commentary around origin that serves the game best, isn't it. Queensland are written off and NSW are favourites. 'This is like been like this for 45 years. It has.'
