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VOTE: Who should coach the Blues in 2018?

19th July, 2017
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NSW need a complete overhaul, and they have nothing to lose. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Expert
19th July, 2017
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The New South Wales Blues have lost Origin again, and Laurie Daley’s job appears to be on a string. With his contract up for renewal, it’s time to investigate options for the next coach of the Blues.

Laurie Daley
Daley’s contract with the NSWRL has expired, and after a single series win in five years it appears unlikely to be renewed.

He has said he won’t reveal a decision for a few weeks about whether he wants to continue in the role, but the Game 3 defeat at Suncorp Stadium was soul-crushing. Daley’s face said it all in the half and fulltime interviews. He was a defeated man who had no answers for Queensland’s dominance.

Andrew Johns
Johns has ruled out becoming the Blues coach, but that won’t stop us from listing him as an option. He is widely regarded to have one of the sharpest brains in rugby league, and it’s little surprise he has been taken on as an advisor at many clubs since his retirement.

In truth, becoming a Blues advisor is the most likely option, but who knows.

Peter Sterling
Why not? Sterling is already on the Blues staff in an advisory role. Why couldn’t he make the leap up to become the coach?

Sure, he has commitments with Channel Nine, and I have no knowledge of the contract situation there, but Sterling would be a good option for coach of the Blues. He was one of, if not the best player of his era and has a sharp football mind.

Peter Sterling

(Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons)

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Brad Fittler
Fittler mightn’t have excelled as a club coach, but he has coached City Origin for the last six years and been in the Blues setup both as a player and part of the coaching staff.

He has been talked about as one of the leading options behind Johns, and while he would also have to leave Nine, he could well chase the top job.

Geoff Toovey
Toovey is an interesting option. The former Manly coach was in the wilderness until recently, when he took up a job at the Bradford Bulls in England.

Toovey played 16 games for the Blues and had a 58 per cent winning rate during his years at Manly. He is smart enough and certainly knows the Origin arena. So why not?

Craig Bellamy
Bellamy has the same roadblocks in the way as Stuart – he is an NRL coach. He also has no track record at Origin level, having never played there and losing all three series he spent in charge.

But, Bellamy is probably the best coach in the NRL right now. He constantly gets the best out of players who have been battling at other clubs – think Dale Finucane, Tim Glasby and Cheyse Blair for starters.

So, why does the rule of being a full-time coach have to exist when the best option may be coaching the Storm? The inside knowledge he could provide on the Queensland setup would also be another advantage.

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Craig Fitzgibbon
This is a left-field option brought about by Anthony Minichiello, no doubt about it, but a valid one nonetheless. He has coached two games for Country, and while he didn’t win either of them, what he will be able to provide the Blues is a very different outlook on the game.

He was an honest player. Fitzgibbon made 300 appearances, but unlike Fittler or Johns, he wasn’t the star of the show. Sometimes, it’s the honest toilers who make the best coaches.

Phil Gould
Gould is the Blues’ best ever coach. That’s not an overstatement – he coached eight series, winning four of five in his first stint, before winning two and drawing the other in his second stint between 2002 and 2004.

Sure, Gould is a little bit older and deeply invested in his commentary, but the Blues could send an SOS call. It might be a pipe dream to think Gould will leave his current job, but if he has any interest in resurrecting the Blues, then it should be pursued.

Phil Gould and the Channel Nine team - is it really necessary to have a 50 minute lead-in before each Origin game? (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) [/caption]

Des Hasler
Despite the fact Hasler signed a two-year extension at Belmore earlier this season, some claim it’s looking increasingly likely he won’t be there in 2018. An ultimatum was supposedly handed down by the club’s board that he had to make the finals, and at this stage it looks about as likely as Gould leaving Channel Nine.

Hasler is a smart coach though. He has won premierships, made grand finals and played over 300 games, as well as 12 for both the Blues and Australia.

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If he is unemployed in 2018, then he becomes an option for the Blues.

Danny Buderus
Buderus is one of the best ever Origin hookers. He played 21 matches for the Blues between 2001 and 2008 and had a staggering 220 appearances for the Knights.

He was consistently brilliant. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the Knights after he retired, becoming head coach for six games at the end of 2015.

Tommy Raudonikous
You can’t doubt the Origin passion of Raudonikous. He played in the inaugural State of Origin game in 1980, had represented New South Wales for years before that and captained his country.

He has also coached the Blues before – in 1997 and 1998. More recently, he went to town on the Blues after Game 3.

“Bloody disgraceful NSW, reserve grade performance. The whole 17 players, hopeless,” he said.

“You’ve got to have that hate element, otherwise they are going to kick your backsides. Happens every year.”

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He then declared he was open to taking Laurie’s job.

“I’ll even do the job. I have coached State of Origin, I won one out of two series, but I’ll tell you what, I got the best out of my players. he said.

“Whoever coaches NSW next season, for god’s sake, get up here to Queensland and find out what passion is, because we have not got it in NSW at the moment, or the last 12 years.”

Anthony Mundine
Mundine put his hat in the ring, but… nah.

Roarers, let us know on the form below who should be the next coach of the Blues and we will have the answer on Thursday.

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