Groundhog Day? The biggest challenge facing an Origin icon
We should've known it would come to this. The great game of rugby league has a delicious way of creating scenarios like that.
Last time it was game two of the 2017 series at what was then called Stadium Australia. NSW had won the opening game 28-4 over Queensland and were leading 16-6 at halftime with a series-clinching win staring them in the face.
The Blues didn't score a point in the second half as the Maroons came back to win 18-16.
But the most distressing thing, as I've written here before, was that after coming back out for the second 40 minutes the Blues failed to make a point of hammering Queensland's chief playmaker Johnathan Thurston.
It had become clear during the first half that Thurston was struggling with a shoulder injury and that the Blues had to target him, legally, by running at him when they had possession and with crashing defence when he had the ball.
Instead, Thurston starred as the Maroons recorded a famous victory, prompting Andrew Johns to say on Channel Nine: "They [NSW] didn't go to him [Thurston] once in the second half. I couldn't believe what I was watching. I couldn't believe it."
It's a team game, but tactical failures like these have to be on the coach more than anyone, particularly when there is a halftime period in which to get everyone on the same page.
Queensland went on to clinch the series by winning game three 22-6 in Brisbane. That was the end of Daley's five years as NSW coach, which returned a record of one series win.
But he got another chance this year and it began well with an 18-6 win to the Blues.
Then, in game two in Perth, NSW scored the first try and then conceded the next 26 points to trail 26-6 at halftime. It was a thoroughly ill-disciplined first-half display by the Blues.
The Maroons didn't score in the second half, but held on to win 26-24 in the face of a tremendous NSW fightback.
Now, what will happen on July 9? Will it be Groundhog Day for Daley or will he be able to celebrate his return with a first-up series win?
It was a good sign for Daley, in particular, and the team that they were able to regroup at halftime in Perth and produce such a dynamic and much more disciplined second half.
It was another good sign for the coach that, at the post-match media conference, he said: "We had some good moments, but we can be a lot better, so that's on me and that's on the team. So I've got to make sure that I review myself, first and foremost, I'll do that, and then we'll come back into game three."
That's exactly what Daley should have said, but the proof is always in the pudding and we'll have to wait and see how the Blues come out in Origin III.
Before that, there is this weekend's NRL round to be played before the teams can be finalised and hopefully there won't be much, if any, damage to the likely Origin participants.
I'll be surprised if Queensland coach Billy Slater doesn't add Reece Walsh to his team should the Brisbane fullback continue his impressive comeback from injury with another big game against the Warriors at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Kalyn Ponga has had an ordinary Origin series so far, but he could still survive on the bench as a shock weapon as well as injury cover if Slater doesn't consider that too much of a luxury and is prepared to shed a forward.
And South Sydney's gung-ho forward Keaon Koloamatangi is already pressing hard for inclusion in the NSW squad and might become irresistible with another starring performance against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Unless it's one of those incredibly rare situations like Penrith have with Ivan and Nathan Cleary it can be a very tricky situation to have a coach and coach's son combination at a club.
Particularly when the son is the team's chief playmaker and as such is constantly under the spotlight, win or lose.
It works at the Panthers. They've got the last four premierships to show for it. But it's a battle at St George Illawarra with coach Shane Flanagan and his halfback son Kyle and all of the outside opinion about whether Kyle deserves to be in the side or not.
This week, ahead of the Dragons playing Parramatta on Saturday night, there has been a lot of talk about whether Lachlan Ilias should've been promoted to the halves - perhaps at the expense of Flanagan.
MORE NRL NEWS
Ilias has regularly starred for the club's NSW Cup side since being dropped from first grade earlier this season.
My take on the situation is that there's not much difference between the pair and that had Flanagan been the one dropped he would've been starring in NSW Cup as well.
The point being that some players are clearly too good for NSW Cup but not good enough to be regular first-graders to the extent that their position is never questioned. They're somewhere in-between.
The Dragons are unlikely to become a premiership threat again until they sign a star halves player.
The Dragons aren't the only ones under pressure. It's a huge game for Cronulla against Melbourne on Sunday. Always difficult for away teams to win down there, but the Sharks have got to start aiming up or risk dropping out of the top eight.
Laurie Daley is back where it all finally fell apart for him in his first stint as NSW coach - playing at home in a game in which the Blues will clinch the State of Origin series if they win.
We should've known it would come to this. The great game of rugby league has a delicious way of creating scenarios like that.
Last time it was game two of the 2017 series at what was then called Stadium Australia. NSW had won the opening game 28-4 over Queensland and were leading 16-6 at halftime with a series-clinching win staring them in the face.
The Blues didn't score a point in the second half as the Maroons came back to win 18-16.
But the most distressing thing, as I've written here before, was that after coming back out for the second 40 minutes the Blues failed to make a point of hammering Queensland's chief playmaker Johnathan Thurston.
It had become clear during the first half that Thurston was struggling with a shoulder injury and that the Blues had to target him, legally, by running at him when they had possession and with crashing defence when he had the ball.
Instead, Thurston starred as the Maroons recorded a famous victory, prompting Andrew Johns to say on Channel Nine: "They [NSW] didn't go to him [Thurston] once in the second half. I couldn't believe what I was watching. I couldn't believe it."
It's a team game, but tactical failures like these have to be on the coach more than anyone, particularly when there is a halftime period in which to get everyone on the same page.
Queensland went on to clinch the series by winning game three 22-6 in Brisbane. That was the end of Daley's five years as NSW coach, which returned a record of one series win.
But he got another chance this year and it began well with an 18-6 win to the Blues.
Then, in game two in Perth, NSW scored the first try and then conceded the next 26 points to trail 26-6 at halftime. It was a thoroughly ill-disciplined first-half display by the Blues.
The Maroons didn't score in the second half, but held on to win 26-24 in the face of a tremendous NSW fightback.
Now, what will happen on July 9? Will it be Groundhog Day for Daley or will he be able to celebrate his return with a first-up series win?
It was a good sign for Daley, in particular, and the team that they were able to regroup at halftime in Perth and produce such a dynamic and much more disciplined second half.
It was another good sign for the coach that, at the post-match media conference, he said: "We had some good moments, but we can be a lot better, so that's on me and that's on the team. So I've got to make sure that I review myself, first and foremost, I'll do that, and then we'll come back into game three."
That's exactly what Daley should have said, but the proof is always in the pudding and we'll have to wait and see how the Blues come out in Origin III.
Before that, there is this weekend's NRL round to be played before the teams can be finalised and hopefully there won't be much, if any, damage to the likely Origin participants.
I'll be surprised if Queensland coach Billy Slater doesn't add Reece Walsh to his team should the Brisbane fullback continue his impressive comeback from injury with another big game against the Warriors at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Kalyn Ponga has had an ordinary Origin series so far, but he could still survive on the bench as a shock weapon as well as injury cover if Slater doesn't consider that too much of a luxury and is prepared to shed a forward.
And South Sydney's gung-ho forward Keaon Koloamatangi is already pressing hard for inclusion in the NSW squad and might become irresistible with another starring performance against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Unless it's one of those incredibly rare situations like Penrith have with Ivan and Nathan Cleary it can be a very tricky situation to have a coach and coach's son combination at a club.
Particularly when the son is the team's chief playmaker and as such is constantly under the spotlight, win or lose.
It works at the Panthers. They've got the last four premierships to show for it. But it's a battle at St George Illawarra with coach Shane Flanagan and his halfback son Kyle and all of the outside opinion about whether Kyle deserves to be in the side or not.
This week, ahead of the Dragons playing Parramatta on Saturday night, there has been a lot of talk about whether Lachlan Ilias should've been promoted to the halves - perhaps at the expense of Flanagan.
MORE NRL NEWS
Ilias has regularly starred for the club's NSW Cup side since being dropped from first grade earlier this season.
My take on the situation is that there's not much difference between the pair and that had Flanagan been the one dropped he would've been starring in NSW Cup as well.
The point being that some players are clearly too good for NSW Cup but not good enough to be regular first-graders to the extent that their position is never questioned. They're somewhere in-between.
The Dragons are unlikely to become a premiership threat again until they sign a star halves player.
The Dragons aren't the only ones under pressure. It's a huge game for Cronulla against Melbourne on Sunday. Always difficult for away teams to win down there, but the Sharks have got to start aiming up or risk dropping out of the top eight.
Laurie Daley is back where it all finally fell apart for him in his first stint as NSW coach - playing at home in a game in which the Blues will clinch the State of Origin series if they win.
We should've known it would come to this. The great game of rugby league has a delicious way of creating scenarios like that.
Last time it was game two of the 2017 series at what was then called Stadium Australia. NSW had won the opening game 28-4 over Queensland and were leading 16-6 at halftime with a series-clinching win staring them in the face.
The Blues didn't score a point in the second half as the Maroons came back to win 18-16.
But the most distressing thing, as I've written here before, was that after coming back out for the second 40 minutes the Blues failed to make a point of hammering Queensland's chief playmaker Johnathan Thurston.
It had become clear during the first half that Thurston was struggling with a shoulder injury and that the Blues had to target him, legally, by running at him when they had possession and with crashing defence when he had the ball.
Instead, Thurston starred as the Maroons recorded a famous victory, prompting Andrew Johns to say on Channel Nine: "They [NSW] didn't go to him [Thurston] once in the second half. I couldn't believe what I was watching. I couldn't believe it."
It's a team game, but tactical failures like these have to be on the coach more than anyone, particularly when there is a halftime period in which to get everyone on the same page.
Queensland went on to clinch the series by winning game three 22-6 in Brisbane. That was the end of Daley's five years as NSW coach, which returned a record of one series win.
But he got another chance this year and it began well with an 18-6 win to the Blues.
Then, in game two in Perth, NSW scored the first try and then conceded the next 26 points to trail 26-6 at halftime. It was a thoroughly ill-disciplined first-half display by the Blues.
The Maroons didn't score in the second half, but held on to win 26-24 in the face of a tremendous NSW fightback.
Now, what will happen on July 9? Will it be Groundhog Day for Daley or will he be able to celebrate his return with a first-up series win?
It was a good sign for Daley, in particular, and the team that they were able to regroup at halftime in Perth and produce such a dynamic and much more disciplined second half.
It was another good sign for the coach that, at the post-match media conference, he said: "We had some good moments, but we can be a lot better, so that's on me and that's on the team. So I've got to make sure that I review myself, first and foremost, I'll do that, and then we'll come back into game three."
That's exactly what Daley should have said, but the proof is always in the pudding and we'll have to wait and see how the Blues come out in Origin III.
Before that, there is this weekend's NRL round to be played before the teams can be finalised and hopefully there won't be much, if any, damage to the likely Origin participants.
I'll be surprised if Queensland coach Billy Slater doesn't add Reece Walsh to his team should the Brisbane fullback continue his impressive comeback from injury with another big game against the Warriors at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Kalyn Ponga has had an ordinary Origin series so far, but he could still survive on the bench as a shock weapon as well as injury cover if Slater doesn't consider that too much of a luxury and is prepared to shed a forward.
And South Sydney's gung-ho forward Keaon Koloamatangi is already pressing hard for inclusion in the NSW squad and might become irresistible with another starring performance against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Unless it's one of those incredibly rare situations like Penrith have with Ivan and Nathan Cleary it can be a very tricky situation to have a coach and coach's son combination at a club.
Particularly when the son is the team's chief playmaker and as such is constantly under the spotlight, win or lose.
It works at the Panthers. They've got the last four premierships to show for it. But it's a battle at St George Illawarra with coach Shane Flanagan and his halfback son Kyle and all of the outside opinion about whether Kyle deserves to be in the side or not.
This week, ahead of the Dragons playing Parramatta on Saturday night, there has been a lot of talk about whether Lachlan Ilias should've been promoted to the halves - perhaps at the expense of Flanagan.
MORE NRL NEWS
Ilias has regularly starred for the club's NSW Cup side since being dropped from first grade earlier this season.
My take on the situation is that there's not much difference between the pair and that had Flanagan been the one dropped he would've been starring in NSW Cup as well.
The point being that some players are clearly too good for NSW Cup but not good enough to be regular first-graders to the extent that their position is never questioned. They're somewhere in-between.
The Dragons are unlikely to become a premiership threat again until they sign a star halves player.
The Dragons aren't the only ones under pressure. It's a huge game for Cronulla against Melbourne on Sunday. Always difficult for away teams to win down there, but the Sharks have got to start aiming up or risk dropping out of the top eight.
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