If this was Laurie Daley’s last game in charge of NSW, then he saved the strongest coaching performance of his State of Origin second coming until the last.
Daley’s future has been a running storyline for the past 12 months and criticism of the Blues coach only intensified in the aftermath of a scrappy game-one win and a capitulation in game two at the MCG.
But at Suncorp Stadium as the Blues claimed a 30-12 victory to clinch the shield and give Daley a second series win in seven attempts, the NSW coach was completely vindicated on all fronts.
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His big men rose to the occasion, his bold picks delivered and despite many predicting the Blues’ demise on Wednesday night, Daley became just the fourth NSW coach to win a decider in Brisbane, ferociously chewing gum in the coaches’ box.
Daley, who said he was “proud of everyone” more than himself, smiled when asked if the win had inspired him to stick around.
“Oh, that’s for another day,” he told Nine.
“I’ve made my mind, I know what I’m doing.”
Daley has been accused of being too loyal to some of the mainstays of his NSW side, but his faith was rewarded.
“One of our greatest ever players, they came for him after game two and the players responded. As a New South Welshman, it makes you so proud,” Andrew Johns said in commentary.
Daley copped criticism from everywhere after Origin II and, not the first time, took pointed shots without naming names.
“I don’t mind any criticism on team selections or interchanges that you make, it’s all part of the game,” he said.
“But there’s times there when you think some things are quite personal and I just don’t think there’s a need to do that, and I think that says a lot about the people who report that way.”
Many of Daley’s players weren’t just playing for the series, their coach and their state — but also their own Origin futures.
Five-eighth Mitchell Moses, maligned because of his off night in Origin II, looked like a new player, testing Queensland with some scheming runs and doing the majority of the long-range kicking.
Halves partner Nathan Cleary scored two tries in the first half and was the catalyst for the Blues’ third, the halfback producing a one-on-one steal on Selwyn Cobbo that led to Cameron Murray sliding over for the Blues to claim a 18-4 halftime lead.
Murray was used off the interchange bench, with Daley resisting calls to move captain Isaah Yeo to the front row to accommodate the South Sydney star.
Yeo stood tall and his Penrith teammate Liam Martin, considered a wildcard pick because of his lack of game time, was part of a two-man mongrel in an 80-minute performance alongside fellow back-rower Hudson Young.
But the real leader who delivered for the Blues was Brisbane prop Payne Haas.
Haas can lay claim to being the best front-rower in the NRL over the past decade but his struggles in translating that dominance to Origin has been a valid criticism.
The Broncos front-rower crushed his way to 128m, making six tackle busts and causing more headaches for the Maroons with his late offloads.
With the result assured with five minutes to go, Daley made his way to the sidelines and received a standing ovation as he pumped his fist in celebration.
“A lot of people wrote him off and said a lot of negative things about him, but he’s absolute champion and you never write off champions,” said Cleary.
