BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

When the New South Wales Blues had to pick between Laurie Daley and Brad Fittler for the starting five-eighth role in the 1990’s – they always went with Daley.

Daley wasn’t the creative spark that Fittler was but NSW always went with Daley because it appeared that he cared more. Daley would charge into a Maroons prop and drop him on his arse.

Fittler’s legacy as a five-eigth, truly, only came at the end when he returned from representative retirement, long after Daley had retired.

For two years, the Blues have dominated Origin.

After replacing Daley as coach, ironically, Fittler calmed the Blues down.

Fittler has been awesome as Blues coach.

But under Fittler, NSW are always an inch away from chaos.

When Mark Coyne scored that classic try to win at the Sydney Football Stadium in 1994, Fittler is seen every time… walking away.

In 1995 at the infamous Melbourne Cricket Ground brawl, Fittler spent the entire time talking to Jason Smith about how to get out of the scrap.

Fittler knows Fittler.

In Origin I, at half-time with his side up 10-0, he screwed up.

At the same time across the bowels at the Adelaide Oval, Wayne Bennett and Mal Meninga injected their side with Origin blood.

Combined, as coaches or players, Meninga and Bennett have almost 40 years of Origin experience.

In the second half in Adelaide, the Maroons played Origin.

Fittler’s Blues had no respect for the game’s history.

Fox League’s Paul Kent and Michael Ennis said it didn’t feel like a real Origin post-match.

What were they watching?

Game I of the series is always pretty loose but they failed to give Queensland the credit they deserve.

It was only 10-0 at the break.

That’s nothing in Origin.

Not an inch.

The Blues offered nothing in the second half.

In the press conference, Fittler spoke about how they never got a penalty or ‘couldn’t get out of their own end’.

Really?

You guys sucked.

It was quite clear Fittler’s Blues didn’t respect QLD in a two horse race.

And that is disrespectful to the state of Queensland and what they stand for.

The Maroons deserved their victory and the celebrations to come but this has to be a punch in the head for Fittler.

Fittler has been a breath of fresh air for the Blues but you could also argue that he came along at the right time.

It’s now time for him to prove to his players what Origin actually means.

If he can.

@woodward_curtis