Opinion
If the first 20 seconds of the build-up to next week’s State of Origin opener were any guide, things can only get better for the Blues.
On an overcast Monday morning at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the NSW Rugby League announced the Blues team via a YouTube livestream watched live by about 5000 people. But as the broadcast kicked off, a brief audio issue left fans unable to hear a word chief executive Dave Trodden was saying.
Then, when it came time for Laurie Daley to end weeks of speculation by officially unveiling his team, the coach produced an unfortunate slip of the tongue when announcing he had selected “Casey McGuire” instead of Casey McLean.
That would have been some story – Casey McGuire, a two-game Queensland representative in the 2005 series, is 46 years old and hasn’t played first grade since 2012.
The Blues cannot afford to fluff their lines when hostilities get under way next Wednesday night, when a similarly sluggish start could spell disaster. Though they have fielded strong sides over the past four years, they have only one Origin shield to show for it – the 2024 series win under Michael Maguire.
The narrative can be spun many ways when it comes to State of Origin. North of the border, Queensland’s three series wins from the past four campaigns – and 15 from the past 20 – points to a period of unequivocal dominance.
The Blues could reply by pointing out they’ve won half of the eight series played between 2018 and 2025. But their 24-12 defeat on home soil in last year’s series decider, in front of 80,256 spectators, has not been the type of result easily brushed aside.
“It lingered for a while, but it’s not on my mind now,” Daley told reporters at an 8:30am media call in front of the Harbour Bridge. “It takes its toll on you.”
With the dust settling on Magic Round – arguably one of the least entertaining rounds of NRL matches this season, given only one game was decided by fewer than 22 points – the Origin machine officially cranked into life on Monday as the majority of Blues players fronted up at NSWRL headquarters at Sydney Olympic Park.
The slow starts continued when journalists, photographers, podcasters and content creators were told Penrith’s four representatives – Brian To’o, Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and McLean (not McGuire) – would not attend open media session because of a delayed flight from Brisbane.
Newcastle pair Jacob Saifiti and Dylan Lucas were also absent due to travel issues, but the show rolled on as obliging players fielded interview requests from every direction ahead of their first official training session on Wednesday.
Triple M’s Beau Ryan looked sharp in a full NSW tracksuit, while radio partner Aaron Woods looked at ease in Blues territory after effectively being blacklisted for interviews by Billy Slater after calling the Queensland coach a “grub” last year.
“It doesn’t bother me one single bit,” Woods said on his show on Monday. “If he [Slater] wants to have a cry, he can have a cry up north. I couldn’t care less.”
The online announcement of Daley’s side earlier in the day had clearly been aimed at engaging fans, with some given the opportunity to ask the coach questions on Reddit. Daley has one series win from six attempts and a 39 per cent win record in Origin.
One user, Webo2456, asked: “Can you explain to us, what exactly is Lozball?”
Daley replied: “Haha. No Lozball. We want a tough side that NSW can be proud of.”
Other highlights included:
TrueDonut3673: “Hey Loz, do you ever speak directly to Slater throughout the series?”
Daley: “We don’t speak much. We acknowledge each other after the games.”
Kinglennie: “Who wins … 13 Latrell Mitchells or 13 of Payne Haas?
Daley: “Very good question. Probably 13 Latrells due to his skill level but it would be a good battle.”
HeimerSimpson: “Meat pie or sausage roll?”
Daley: “Meat pie. Easy one.”
Slater does not need to trawl through Reddit threads to realise Daley’s NSW side doesn’t exactly scream whitewash.
The Maroons, confident enough to overlook Reece Walsh seven months after the Broncos fullback won the Clive Churchill Medal with one of the greatest individual grand final performances ever seen, continue to carry the reputation of a team that becomes much more than the sum of its parts once the talking is done and the on-field action begins.
On Sunday, Channel Nine commentator Mat Thompson told Blues great Andrew Johns on-air that Monday’s panel show 100% Footy would feature a debate around the issue of whether NSW really “gets” Origin.
“I am going to wind up. Get ready,” Johns said with half a grin as Maroons legend Cam Smith chuckled to himself in the background.
Johns then asked whether his former Newcastle and NSW teammate Paul “Chief” Harragon could have a cameo on the panel.
Perhaps Harragon could instead make the short trip south to Blues camp on the Central Coast this week to motivate a NSW team attempting to win a series opener in Sydney for the first time since 2013 – the match in which Paul Gallen infamously punched Nate Myles in the head.
Blues centre Kotoni Staggs needs no reminding of Maroon claims to the spiritual ownership of Origin.
“I live it every day, given I play for the Broncos,” Staggs said. “You hear it every time, but it’s something you let it go in one ear, out the other.
“I know what Origin means. This team gets Origin. It’s about showing people we do.”
With eight full days remaining before the Blues run onto Accor Stadium, Daley will save his best motivational speech for later in camp. But the passion in the voices of debutants such as Victor Radley, Tolutau Koula and McLean during a series of phone calls on Sunday convinced him his players understand exactly what is at stake.
“Anyone that tells you that people aren’t passionate about playing for NSW, they should have been on the end of those calls,” Daley said. “I know what it means to them, they know what it means, and the state will know what it means to them after next Wednesday night.”
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Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.