Laurie is a legend but must fall on his sword if Blues lose three straight series

29 May, 2017 The81stMinute 0 Comments 1 category

If rugby league coaches live and die by results, New South Wales State of Origin Coach Laurie Daley is hanging from a cliff by nothing more than a couple of fingers.

The Canberra legend is just two games away from three consecutive series defeats. If the Blues lose again, Daley will join Craig Bellamy (2008-2010) as the only NSW coaches to ever lose three straight Origin campaigns. The Blues lost three on the trot between 1982 and 1984 (Frank Stanton and Ted Glossop) and again between 1987 and 1989 (Ron Willey, John Peard and Jack Gibson) but Bellamy is the only man to have ever lost three in succession. Now his former Raiders teammate is staring down the barrel of the same fate.

It’s there in black and white. Statistics never lie and while history can be glossed and argued forever – stats never budge.

The numbers never change.

Daley is walking less of a tightrope than a line of floss.

A series victory now eases the pressure and pulls the nails back out of the coffin. A win gives Daley a 2-3 split since taking over in 2013. Failure gives him one series in five attempts.

The Blues need to stop shrugging their shoulders and conceding they were beaten by future Immortals and demand better.

Daley the player is a true legend and deserves respect but his contract also expires at the end of the 2017 series.

“I am just thinking about this week, nothing else,” Daley said ahead of Game I on Wednesday night.

“I want to get the boys right and once this game is over, we can start worrying about Game II.

“You can’t get too far ahead. You have to make sure everything you do is spot-on.

“We have done that so far.”

It would be remiss not to talk about the Maroons and how much talent they’ve had at their disposal in the last decade. But giving all the credit to Queensland for NSW’s downfalls only creates mediocrity and a losing culture.

A coach needs results and nobody needs a series win more than Daley.

Our @josh_massoud speaks to @NSWRL coach Laurie Daley on the @QLDmaroons loss of Johnathan Thurston. #7News pic.twitter.com/Gjfbg5PVG4

— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) May 26, 2017

Given that responsibility is rookie captain Boyd Cordner, Nathan Peats – a hooker in his first Origin game and Mitch Pearce, yet to win a series.

Daley made his debut for the Blues in ’89 and felt the pain of being part of a Blues team on the end of three straight series defeats. Pearce too made his debut in ’08 and played two more games in 2010 as Bellamy bowed out.

Do any two men have thicker skins?

You’re only as good as your last series and Blues fans will be quick to forget if NSW can get over the line.

Now it could be Pearce saving Daley’s back side.

But if things goes awry – there are suitors waiting in the wings.

Former Blues teammates Brad Fittler and Geoff Toovey would be early favourites to take over the role.

While Fittler’s only NRL job at the Sydney Roosters finished forgettably (Braith Anasta at fullback, anyone?), he has proven himself as a representative coach with City and doesn’t overplay his hand.

Rep footy isn’t all about “systems”. Buzzwords are used all too often in the NRL by men trying to sound more important than they really are – justifying their pay packets. You can’t coach Origin like it’s an NRL side.

When Mal Meninga took over the Maroons all those years ago, he didn’t crowd the players. He left that to assistant coaches. Meninga’s job was to install pride and history into his team. Bring them together as mates and watch them go.