Sydney Morning Herald<\/a> that they have noticed Grant\u2019s scheming ways.<\/p>\n\u201cHe definitely gets away with a lot of that sort of stuff. I think the whole Queensland side the last couple of games have been better playing that side of the game,\u201d the Blues hooker said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something we need to improve. Some people seem to get away with stuff, others don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Billy responds to Gus’ Grant comments | 11:15<\/p>\n
BRAILEY OPENS UP ON THREE-WEEK RACE<\/p>\n
NSW Blues hooker Blayke Brailey has opened up on the unique measures he took to return from a broken arm in time for the 2026 State of Origin series decider.<\/p>\n
Sustaining a broken arm between Game I and Game II, Brailey\u2019s Origin campaign appeared to be over with the Sharks dummy-half facing a race against the clock to feature in Game III.<\/p>\n
While many expected him to be ruled out for the remaining two matches of the series, the Sharks dummy-half never lost belief that he could make a remarkable return.<\/p>\n
Rather than accepting that his 2026 Origin campaign was over, he immediately set his sights on a three-week turnaround and remained confident that he could give himself every chance of being available.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a rollercoaster playing and winning Game One and then going back to the club and breaking my arm,\u201d Brailey told foxsports.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the highest and lowest I\u2019ve been in the space of 48 hours.<\/p>\n
Blayke Brailey will carry the scars of his broken arm into Origin III.Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely had the goal to be back here for Game III and be back for the Sharks and always had confidence in myself, but at the same time you never know with these selections.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many great players and Laurie could go any other way, so really happy he put his trust in me.\u201d<\/p>\n
His belief was so strong that he turned it into a daily reminder, writing \u201cthree weeks\u201d on the back of his door so he would see it every time he left the house.<\/p>\n
The simple message became a source of motivation throughout his recovery process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had confidence that I was going to be back in three weeks. I had no Plan B,\u201d Brailey added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember the day I broke it, I wrote \u2018three weeks\u2019 on the back of my door so every time I\u2019d leave (the house) I\u2019d look at that. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the Roosters game so I wrote that on the back of my door and every time I\u2019d leave and come back in the house, that\u2019s what I looked at. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt gave me the confidence and the motivation and I had no pain and felt great.\u201d<\/p>\n
OO 2026 RD01SOO 2026 RD01 New South Wales v Queensland – Blayke Brailey. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: Supplied<\/p>\n
That belief was crucial as Brailey quickly shifted his focus from disappointment to recovery and leaned on the support around him to make the ambitious timeline possible.<\/p>\n
However, he wouldn\u2019t have been able to return without the help of his partner and club\u2019s doctors and physios that gave him the all clear to return to the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was probably the first 48 hours that were obviously a lot of disappointment, thinking about what I\u2019m going to miss and that I\u2019ll be stuck on the couch for a while,\u201d Brailey continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ve got a pretty good support network and the coaching staff and physio and the surgeon gave me full confidence<\/p>\n
\u201cNormally, the surgeon\u2019s hard to get the tick of approval but he was all on board with the three weeks and I was probably pushing it harder than I should have been.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was passing the ball with my partner maybe four or five days after surgery so I knew what my body was capable of, and I was pushing it pretty hard but at the same time I knew it was all going to be worth it in the end.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter maybe about five days in I knew I was going to get there. <\/p>\n
\u201cI knew I was going to play there and I saw a lot of articles saying three weeks was near impossible, but that probably gave me more motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘Been told’: Loz responds to NSW critics | 10:34<\/p>\n
Earning the nod for the series-decider at Suncorp Stadium, the dummy-half will once again combine with Reece Robson in a one-two punch combination.<\/p>\n
The pair have known each other for a long time, with their paths first crossing as young hookers coming through the Cronulla Sharks junior pathways system.<\/p>\n
However, they have taken different paths to the Origin arena: Brailey has remained at the Shire, whereas Robson has bounced between multiple clubs before establishing himself as a representative player.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember him coming through the ranks and being a local junior at the Sharks. He kind of came late,\u201d Brailey added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew straight away that he was the good player versing me in the lower grades and from there I\u2019ve watched his game grow and move to the Dragons and Cowboys.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe went from strength to strength and the last few years watching him play for the Blues have been inspiring.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing a smaller person in the middle, I know how tough being a hooker can be and he just smashes out the 80 minutes pretty easily. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s a great player and I\u2019m really excited to reconnect again and grow my game and pick up little tips from him too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ethan Lee Chalk (Fox Sports)<\/p>\n
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – JULY 02: Reece Robson passes the ball during the New South Wales Blues Men’s State of Origin training session at Cbus Super Stadium on July 02, 2026 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
BLUES UNLEASH BASH BROTHERS TO SHUT DOWN QLD<\/p>\n
\u201cBash Brothers\u201d Fulton Reed and Dean Portman terrorised their rivals on the ice in D2: The Mighty Ducks, with the state of NSW now hoping to see \u201cBlues Brothers\u201d Liam Martin and Hudson Young go after the Maroons on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
The duo weren\u2019t born when the movie came out in 1994, but it was a special year for the Blues as they marched up to Brisbane and won a series decider for the first time at Suncorp Stadium. <\/p>\n
Martin missed the first two games of this year\u2019s series due to a knee injury, but he\u2019s back on his familiar right side of the field where the plan is for him to target old foe Cameron Munster for as long as his lungs will let him.<\/p>\n
The Panthers star will team up with Young in the back row with the series on the line, with fellow forward Payne Haas describing Martin as a \u201cwild man\u201d as he prepares to play his 16th game for his state.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatching it (game two) was very frustrating. I would have loved to have been out there and I thought I\u2019ll do whatever I can to get to this game three,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI probably didn\u2019t think I\u2019d played well enough (for Penrith) but I\u2019m glad they put their trust in me. I\u2019m going to get up there and get the job done.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just would have loved to have been there, be in the contest, the physicality. I was missing it a bit, so I\u2019m glad I\u2019m there for game three and can\u2019t wait.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liam Martin and Hudson Young after winning game 1 of the 2025 State of Origin series between Queensland and NSW at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Pics Adam HeadSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
Young had Haumole Olakau\u2019atu on the right edge in the series opener before Dylan Lucas was brought in to make his debut at the MCG, with Queensland going after that side as they cruised to a huge win to force a decider.<\/p>\n
But they won\u2019t have as much time with Martin back and on a mission to mess up the Maroons, with Olakau\u2019atu likely to come on at some stage when the tank is empty.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really excited to pair up with \u2018Marto\u2019 in the back row,\u201d Young said, with the Raiders star tasked with shutting down game two hero Sam Walker. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a world-class player and just really happy for him to be back in this environment. He\u2019s built for Origin and he\u2019s an animal, so I\u2019m excited to be back in here with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he just brings a presence. He\u2019s won four competitions for a reason and he\u2019s played at the highest level for many years now and he knows what it takes to win. He just does all the stuff you value as a teammate and to get him back in here fit and firing is exciting for us all.\u201d<\/p>\n
People north of the border can\u2019t stand Martin when he\u2019s ripping in for the Blues, but he doesn\u2019t agree with one word they use to describe him.<\/p>\n
Strange fit to return for Origin decider | 02:17<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I\u2019m not much of a grub, but I do enjoy the physical side and the aggression,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like that\u2019s how the game\u2019s meant to be played, especially Origin. I really embrace it and look forward to it whenever I get the opportunity to put on the blue, to rip in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure Hudson and I have a similar mindset, and that\u2019s why I love playing with him. So keen to get out there again, and I know we\u2019ll get the job done for the team, me and him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Blues have been written off heading into game three at Suncorp Stadium where they pulled off a stunning victory two years ago, and Young says something similar is brewing in this squad. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very connected as a team. Everyone\u2019s close mates and that\u2019s important as a team before you play. The camaraderie here in the team is as good as I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Martin Gabor (NCA NewsWire)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Legendary NSW coach Phil Gould has lit the fuse in an otherwise relatively drama-free build up to this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":514183,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[111,139,69,213],"class_list":["post-514182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=514182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/514183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=514182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=514182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=514182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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