Legacy on the line: Will Game 3 be Laurie’s Pearce de résistance?

Win or lose, I think this will be Laurie Daley’s last game in charge of New South Wales.

Lose, and he’ll likely get a tap on the shoulder. A single series victory in five attempts won’t cut it, regardless of the quality of your opposition. Win, and he’ll ride off into the sunset, a happy yet weary man.

This means Wednesday night will be a defining moment not only for the Blues, but also for Laurie’s legacy as coach. One series victory can be passed off as a fluke largely attributed to the absence of Cooper Cronk. But two series victories against such a formidable Queensland side is an achievement any coach would be proud of.

With Laurie’s legacy on the line, it’s a good time to reflect on the journey that he and the Blues have taken to get to this point.

2013 – Queensland wins 2-1
Daley inherited the side during the State’s darkest hour. The Maroons had just celebrated their seventh consecutive series victory, and the future was looking more painful than a prostate exam from the Incredible Hulk.

Some viewed the position as a poisoned chalice, but Daley saw the job as an honour and a privilege. And it’s those core values that formed the bedrock of his coaching philosophy.

Daley’s first major challenge as coach of the Blues was to settle on a halfback. He needed to find someone capable of standing toe to toe with Cronk and Johnathan Thurston. Someone able to kick to the corners, force repeat sets, and generally steer New South Wales around the park. Instead, he selected Mitchell Pearce.

I don’t blame him for this selection. Better coaches than Daley have been lured in by Pearce’s siren song and mouth-watering club form. And make no mistake, Pearce was in sparkling touch heading into the series.

But if there has been one knock on Pearce throughout his career, it’s that he’s unable to reproduce his club form at Origin level. I guess Laurie had to see it for himself.

Outside of Pearce, Daley played it safe at the selection table. With only a single point between the two sides in the 2012 decider, wholesale changes weren’t needed. So Daley opted for a rugged veteran forward pack, plenty of experience along the backline, and Paul Gallen as captain of the side.

The series started well enough, with New South Wales scoring a convincing victory (14-6) in Game 1 in front of a massive home crowd. But that jubilation was short lived.

James Tamou got himself a DUI, Blake Ferguson was charged with indecent assault, Jarryd Hayne was ruled out of the remainder of the series through injury, and Daley finally understood why Ricky Stuart aged 20 years during his three series in charge of the side.

As New South Wales imploded, Queensland did what Queensland always do. They destroyed an unfocused and unprepared Blues side up at Suncorp (26-6) and then held their nerve during the decider back in Sydney (12-10). And just like that, it was eight in a row.

2014 – New South Wales wins 2-1
Daley learned a lot from his first series in charge of the Blues. First and foremost, he learned that he couldn’t trust his players in Sydney, and he couldn’t trust the people of Sydney around his players. So he pulled a Clark Griswold, packed the kids into the back of his Family Truckster, and set off for Laurie World, otherwise known as the Coffs Harbour Novotel (apologies for getting that song stuck in your head).

(AAP)

The coach also learned he couldn’t trust Mitchell Pearce. The Roosters halfback was all but assured of retaining his spot in the side, until a night out at Kings Cross and a little yellow dress ended his Origin campaign. In his place, Daley opted for the solid halves partnership of Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson.

The new scrum base combination allowed Daley to implement an attacking style very similar to what the Raiders have been running the last couple of years. It relied heavily on the forwards dominating the middle third and creating space for the talented outside backs to capitalise on any try-scoring opportunities. In this system, the halves were complementary pieces, rather than the centrepiece of the attack.

At first, it seemed to work a treat. Off the back of consistent go-forward by the likes of Gallen, Aaron Woods and Greg Bird, the New South Wales backline shone. Jarryd Hayne was particularly impressive. His heroics in both attack and defence went a long way to ensuring the Blues won their first Origin series since 2005. The loss of Cooper Cronk through injury certainly didn’t hurt.

There were slight concerns about the Blues blow-out loss in Game 3 and their overall inability to score points throughout the series, but those were discussions for another day. The team had just won their first series in almost a decade, and it was time to celebrate!

2015 – Queensland win 2-1
I’m sure Laurie wanted to retain the same side that broke the drought. I’m sure he wanted to be loyal, just like his old mate Mal. But sadly, Josh Reynolds played himself out of the side. He wilted under the constant media speculation about his position in the team, and in the end, the selectors didn’t really have a choice.

So Daley traded his Truckster for a DeLorean, and it was back to Pearce. This probably wasn’t the choice that the coach wanted to make, but it was the right one at the time. Pearce had put together another outstanding stretch of football for the Roosters, and there just wasn’t a better option running around in club land.

Other than the reintroduction of Pearce and the loss of Hayne to pursue his American dream, Daley made minimal changes to his team and his approach. Gallen was retained at captain and Robbie Farah was retained as hooker, despite ongoing speculation that their presence in the side was stifling the Blues attack.

In the end, the return of Cooper Cronk proved the difference between the two sides. A Cronk field goal saw the Maroons take the first game (11-10), and while the Blues struck back in Game 2 (26-18), the decider was an absolute massacre (52-6). Daley described the preparation for that game as the best he’s ever been involved in, so the annihilation which followed caught him completely off-guard.

It was time for some changes.

2016 – Queensland wins 2-1
Another year, another scandal involving Mitchell Pearce. With the Roosters halfback in Laurie’s dog house and Hodkinson’s club form deteriorating faster than his knee, a new halves partnership was required. Enter Adam Reynolds and James Maloney.

But they weren’t the only changes. The Game 3 capitulation in 2015 effectively ended the Origin careers of half a dozen New South Wales veterans and opened the door for the Blues debut of James Tedesco, Matt Moylan, Josh Mansour, Dylan Walker, Jack Bird, Tyson Frizell and Wade Graham.

The new-look New South Wales side marked a significant switch in Daley’s coaching philosophy. In previous campaigns, Daley had prioritised size and strength over speed. However, the selections of mobile, 80-minute back-rowers like Frizell, Graham, Jackson and Cordner, along with the short kicking games of Maloney and Reynolds, indicated that Laurie was chasing points.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Despite plenty of effort and no shortage of passion, the Maroons were just too good. The Blues once again struggled to post points and were unable to contain Queensland’s clinical backline. On the plus side, Daley had given valuable experience to a handful of future Origin stars.

2017 – New South Wales wins 2-1 (I hope!)
This year felt like a changing of the guard. A fresh start. Gallen and Farah were gone, as were Jennings, Bird and Tamou. Boyd Cordner stepped up as leader of the team, and Laurie picked a side that was not only capable of winning now, but well equipped to forge their own Blue dynasty.

The preparation was given a fresh lick of paint as well. The Blues farewelled Coffs Harbour, where it was rumoured that some players were having a little too much fun, and the team set up shop in beautiful Kingscliff.

But one thing hadn’t changed – Mitchell Pearce. After spending his obligatory year out of the team for disciplinary reasons, Pearce was back. Again. I know rugby league loves a redemption story, but this plot’s wearing thinner than the seat of Sam Kasiano’s slacks.

Continuing with the strategy he implemented last series, Daley’s plan worked beautifully in Game 1. Stacked with super-fit, mobile edge forwards, New South Wales opened the series at break-neck pace, executing with incredible timing and precision.

They carried that form into Game 2, but old habits crept back in, and a half a “dumb football” cost them the game.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

And so it all comes down to Wednesday night. Laurie knows he won’t get a better chance to beat Queensland. He knows that he has the better team on paper, and he knows that his side has played better football than the opposition for the majority of the series. And with Thurston and Boyd missing through injury, there are simply no more excuses.

Good luck Lozza. We’re with you mate.

5th Tackle Option
Here are five quick thoughts on the action from Round 18.

1. Manly beat the Rabbitohs 46 points to 8. South Sydney beat Penrith 42 points to 14. The Panthers beat Manly 16 points to 8. Go figure.

2. Interesting and sad fact about the Blues – they have not managed to field the same halves pairing in consecutive Origin series since Brad Fittler and Brett Kimmorley played two straight together in 2000-2001.

3. Sometimes, rugby league gets it right. And that was the case at Belmore on Sunday afternoon. That was a very moving and fitting farewell to fan favourite Josh Reynolds. They had the banner, the flowers, the whole nine yards. They even named a bloody hill after him! I know that his departure from the Bulldogs was purely business, but after watching that scene unfold, it just felt wrong. The Tigers must be licking their lips at the thought of acquiring such a marketable young man.

4. Every week, the Knights find new ways to inflict pain onto their loyal fan-base. How they lost against the Bulldogs in that fashion defies all logic and reason. But thank heavens for the Ross-Dog. His try-saving tackle of a rampaging Aiden Tolman was inspiring. If only he teammates shared his attitude towards defence.

5. Parramatta’s defeat of the depleted Storm is the perfect example of how mediocre sides can cash in around Origin time. Minus their State representatives, sides like Melbourne and Brisbane are often ripe for the picking, particularly against decent sides like the Eels, who are lucky enough to field their full compliment. Their win against the Storm almost counts for double – not only have they taken home the two points, but they have done so against an opposition that few other teams will beat this season.