Laurie's Loyalty a Lost Opportunity
Listening to plenty of people in Rugby League circles, they say you wouldn't meet a better bloke than Laurie Daley. In a sport that is brutal and has plenty of rough around the edges characters, Laurie defies the mould. Coaches no doubt have to be seen to be loyal to players and build relationships. However with Laurie's contract up at the end of 2017, and batting at a series winning average of 25%, put simply he can't afford another losing campaign.
No one can doubt the loyalty, toughness and the single mindedness of Blues veterans Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah.. Loved by both Sharks and Tigers fans, hated by most opposition fans, Gallen and Farah are the last of a dying breed of one-club players in Rugby League. Both grizzly faced, battle-hardened warriors who have had their fair share of turbulence throughout their long careers. Both veterans have never been afraid to take a backward step in the media and have often carried the weight of their clubs ups and downs over the years. In Farah's case it has weighed him down and his reputation has taken somewhat of a battering, unfairly in my opinion.
Whilst Gallen did get his fairy tail ending on Wednesday night as the Blues prevailed in a last minute thriller I feel NSW missed an opportunity to blood a new leader. Both Farah and Gallen have represented the Blues with pride and passion the sad reality remains with nearly 40 Origin appearances between them, they only have a single series victory in 2014 to cherish. The Blues have been close several times, they have been gallant, brave and some would say unlucky on occasions. QLD’s team contains 3 or 4 once in a generation footballers and the simple argument could be made that NSW have simply lost to the better team. However this QLD side were beatable this year, with no Anthony Milford, Ben Hunt, Dylan Napa and Valentine Holmes, NSW had a chance to inject their own dose of youth without fear of a response from North of the Border.
Daley made one big call - axing veteran Greg Bird for Wade Graham. However in my opinion he should have gone a step further and axed Farah and taken the captaincy from Gallen. The Game 3 dead rubber in Sydney was the perfect platform for NSW to plan for 2017 and the years ahead. Whilst they got the win questions remain about next season that could have been answered last night. Under a new captain without the battle scars and a new rake, the Blues could have got a jump-start on the Maroons for 2017. As it stands, Gallen and Farahgot their swansong but its still advantage Queensland heading into 2017.