NSW coach Laurie Daley has revealed he breathed a huge sigh of relief after watching Billy Slater drop the ball with his decision to take Kalyn Ponga out of the game on Wednesday night.
The star fullback was repeatedly at the centre of Queensland’s most threatening plays, but Slater was forced to make the impossible call to bench the mercurial No. 1 in a frenetic second half.
It is one of many calls that have come back to bite Slater after his second series-deciding loss on home soil in the past three years.
Watch every game of every round of the NRL Premiership LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
The Melbourne Storm icon has overseen three series victories in his five seasons in charge and has been widely praised for his leadership as Maroons coach in recent years.
However, the Blues’ 30-12 thumping on Wednesday night showed Slater is just as human as every other coach out there.
Daley on Thursday morning admitted he was surprised to see the Maroons bench Ponga for eight minutes in the second half right at the moment the Maroons were desperately chasing points and had the ascendancy.
The Newcastle superstar was the casualty of Slater’s shake-up after halfback Sam Walker was taken off the field to undergo a head injury assessment in the 45th minute.
Reece Walsh was injected into the game as Walker’s replacement and the Broncos weapon remained on the field when Walker returned at the expense of Ponga.
It was only minutes later when Ponga was finally brought back on to replace Thomas Flegler.
Speaking on his Sky Sports Radio breakfast show the morning after the game, Daley said: “I couldn’t believe Ponga got taken off.
“Are they (critics) going to question those decisions. They won’t have a post mortem in Queensland. Kalyn Ponga was their best player. He was the most dangerous player.”
He went on to say: “Ponga, I was happy when he got taken off. That would have been dangerous Ponga and Walsh on the field.
“Will the same journos have a crack at them?”
Daley is far from the only one questioning Queensland’s bench rotations.
Slater was also apologetic for leaving Pat Carrigan and Murray Taulagi stranded on the bench for 80 minutes.
“I feel terrible to be honest,” Slater said in his post match press conference.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like leaving two guys out that prepared to play. It’s a really bad feeling to be honest.
“But that’s just the way the game is.”
The decision to give the Broncos workhorse no time on the field surprised many — especially when Trent Loeiro was used as Queensland’s first substitution.
Walker’s head injury assessment then tossed Slater’s plans into disarray and Carrigan went unused.
Leading Queensland journalist Ben Dobbin said on Wednesday night, Queensland’s plan was always for Carrigan to be brought on in the second half.
Edge forward Kurt Capewell has repeatedly got the job done for Queensland in the past, but he was far from impressive on Wednesday night.
He was also the player hung out to dry in the series opener in Sydney when injuries forced him to move to centre.
Blues centre Kotoni Staggs cut Capewell to pieces in the series opener in a game where Slater left outside back Gehamat Shibasaki sitting on the bench.
Questions will continue to be asked about Slater’s bench rotations – especially after Daley was savagely criticised for how he deployed his bench in the first two matches of the series.
NSW great Greg Alexander said on SEN on Thursday morning the post mortem would be “horrendous” if Daley had lost in similar circumstances to Slater.
The Maroons mentor is yet to confirm his future.
Slater is yet to re-sign a contract extension with Queensland and has told reporters he will continue to operate with the QRL on a “handshake deal” basis.
Former QRL boss Ben Ikin said this week he is confident Slater will return in 2027.
Originally published as ‘I feel terrible’: Billy Slater blunder Laurie Daley couldn’t believe