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The Maroons stormed home from a 12-8 deficit to land a significant psychological blow ahead of Game 3, cruising to a 44-24 victory to carry all the momentum into the Suncorp Stadium decider.<\/p>\n
While Blues coach Laurie Daley has come under scrutiny in the wake of the loss, NRL 360 host Braith Anasta suggested on Thursday night that if NSW loses the series more questions need to be asked of New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL). <\/p>\n
Specifically, he questioned whether chief executive Dave Trodden should be under pressure considering he was the man who brought Daley back in the first place.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course they should be under pressure,\u201d veteran journalist Brent Read said on NRL 360.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey made this decision and Laurie\u2019s record wasn\u2019t great. Now, everyone says he was up against the greatest Queensland team of all time and you can take that into account, but they had a decision to make a couple of years ago, they went down this path and they\u2019ve got to bare some responsibility for it because at the moment you would say it\u2019s been a really poor decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anasta said the decision to appoint Daley \u201cperplexed him\u201d, especially when you consider he had spent so much time out of the game. <\/p>\n
It was almost eight years to be exact that Daley had spent out of regular top-flight coaching when he took over and according to Anasta, it has shown in the past two series.<\/p>\n
That is especially true when you consider how the game has evolved with the introduction of new rules and interpretations. <\/p>\n
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\n Should Strange replace Moses for game 3? | 01:10<\/p>\n \u201cA lot changes in our game in terms of structures, rules \u2014 everything. It\u2019s a totally different sport almost,\u201d Anasta said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe comes to Dave Trodden and he\u2019s won one from five series, and he hasn\u2019t coached for eight years, and he puts the application in. Dave Trodden says you\u2019re the coach. <\/p>\n \u201cCan you explain it?\u201d<\/p>\n In Trodden\u2019s defence, Code Sports journalist David Riccio said that outside of Daley there was not a long list of interested candidates for the Blues job, headlined by Max King who was the \u201cfirm second favourite\u201d while Michael Ennis also was keen. <\/p>\n But either way, Read said that from the very moment Daley was appointed it was clear it would not work out, recalling a \u201ccruel\u201d post he made on X at the time. <\/p>\n \u201cI think I tweeted Queensland rugby league fans are doing cartwheels today, because that was the reaction north of the Border,\u201d Read said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was like, seriously? You\u2019re going to go down this path? Particularly when you consider a guy like Matt King was in the system ready to go, and they went to a guy who didn\u2019t have a great record. <\/p>\n \u201cWe hate picking on Laurie because he\u2019s a champion guy and New South Wales legend, but his coaching record gave you no confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n While Daley has a chance to become just the third Blues coach to win multiple Origin series, he is also the only Origin coach with 10-plus games to have a win record below 50 per cent.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, on Wednesday he passed Wayne Bennett for the most defeats (12) by any coach in Origin history.<\/p>\n For Keary, who was selected in the extended squad for the Blues during the 2024 series, there is a clear difference between NSW under Daley and former coach Maguire.<\/p>\n MORE ORIGIN NEWS<\/p>\n WHO\u2019S SAFE, WHO ISN\u2019T: Verdict on every Blues player as axe to be swung<\/a><\/p>\n TALKING PTS: \u2018Big conversation\u2019 Loz must have after nightmare; star poised for payday<\/a><\/p>\n Braith questions Daley reappointment | 02:40<\/p>\n \u201cI go off what\u2019s happening on the field. Last year was bad. This year is not good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like you need to wait now. Those questions need to be answered at the end of this year. Why was he there? Who else could have been in the role? <\/p>\n \u201cI go back to my time in New South Wales camp. I\u2019ll go back to 2024, Michael Maguire was there and he has never played Origin…. doesn\u2019t understand Origin some people said. <\/p>\n \u201cHe met with every single player in and around that squad, players that didn\u2019t play, met with them, took a Blues jersey with him. He met with all the older players, met with all the ex-players, took a Blues jersey with him, asked them what it meant and presented it back to the players. <\/p>\n \u201cHe was meticulous, he had people in tears during that camp. I walked out of the MCG and went these boys are winning this series. He brought that much belief. <\/p>\n \u201cMatty Johns said it last night. He said there\u2019s a belief problem in this team, and you can see it. The punters can see it in the crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n (L-R) Spencer Leniu, Michael Maguire and Angus Crichton celebrate NSW’s 2024 win in State of Origin.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n The belief wasn\u2019t just there in the Blues squad under Maguire. It was there in the fanbase too according to Anasta, because they could \u201csee the passion\u201d that the Broncos coach had.<\/p>\n \u201cHe took Billy head on. He put pressure on Billy, and he got a result. It\u2019s chalk and cheese, the difference. You can\u2019t compare,\u201d added Anasta.<\/p>\n Now, it is hard to doubt that Daley doesn\u2019t have some form of passion. After all, regardless of how his coaching career has unfolded he is a NSW Blues legend.<\/p>\n But Keary said there is a \u201cbig difference\u201d between how Maguire and Daley showed that passion.<\/p>\n