After engineering a State of Origin ambush, Laurie Daley has delivered a scathing rebuke of his critics, suggesting there were “hidden agendas” that attempted to undermine his New South Wales (NSW) camp.
Daley—hammered publicly and privately over the Blues’ form through the first two games of the series—had the last laugh on the night of July 8 as NSW secured a 30-12 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
It is just Daley’s second series win across his two stints as NSW coach.
And Daley, who has been met with a tidal wave of criticism for the Blues’ underwhelming displays through the first two games of the series, came out swinging.
“Some of the stuff that’s been written, gee, come on. Hopefully those blokes might have a decent look at themselves,” Daley said.
“It wasn’t about the last laugh, it was just about these blokes playing the best they possibly could.
“And, in particular, people who have a crack when they don’t even come to a training session, they won’t front up to press conferences, show some balls. Where are they now?”
Daley is uncontracted with the Blues beyond this year and did not indicate whether he would seek an extension with the NSWRL.
He did not reference any particular reporter by name or a specific story, but the most provocative coverage of his coaching came out in the days before Origin II with claims that players were unmotivated by his pre-game speeches.
“I think it was unnecessary and there were hidden agendas. Sometimes, things are planted in the media too, so I'd love to know where that came from,” Daley said.
“When you’ve put a lot into a game and put a lot into trying to be the person you are and people attack you from an angle that you go, ‘wow, that’s why it probably ran’.”
Daley said he had not read any of the personal criticism on him but hinted that those close to him had been impacted by the coverage.
“People would say, ‘Oh, mate, you okay?’ I don’t like it, but I accept it but other people will get affected by it,” the Blues coach added.
“People write stories and do whatever they want, but you have got to be held accountable to some of your stories too, and I'll read those stories.
“If things aren’t true, I‘ll call them out, and then they can either explain that they made it up or they can explain where they got it from or they can hide behind ’someone gave it to me’.”
