Pressure to ramp up on Daley as Blues blunder

George Clarke | June 17, 2026

If Laurie Daley was feeling the pressure over his record as NSW coach heading into the second game of the State of Origin series, then the tourniquet is about to be tightened considerably. 

For the second-straight year in Daley’s second coming as Blues coach, NSW have squandered a 1-0 series lead and will be left relying on a decider to lift the shield after Queensland claimed a 44-24 win in Origin II in Melbourne on Wednesday.  

The Maroons will enjoy homeground advantage at Suncorp Stadium on July 8, a place where the Blues have won just one decider in the last 20 years.

Daley has never won a decider as a coach.

The Blues boss knew his side had got out of jail in the series opener in Sydney where NSW leaked 20 first-half points but managed to jag a 22-20 win after Kalyn Ponga’s controversial send-off.

Game one continued a concerning run of slow NSW starts under Daley, bringing the coach’s motivational abilities and record into focus. 

Daley’s coaching was subject of intense scrutiny from Queensland media this week – he has won just one of the six full series across his two stints in charge of the Blues.

In the pre-game coverage on the Nine Network, NSW great Brad Fittler called on the Blues to silence the criticism of one of the state’s legends. 

“The coach was our best player ever and they can’t walk away from that,” Fittler said. 

“The players need to stand up for 80 minutes tonight. They need to be all heart – just like their coach.”

The Blues did that for the first 40 minutes but were all at sea in the second half. 

Mark Nawaqanitawase’s selection looked inspired when the rugby union convert set up the Blues’ opening try and then muscled over in the corner to put NSW up 12-8 at halftime. 

But Nawaqanitawase, who added a second try in the 60th minute, looked increasingly lost as the second half wore on.

Dylan Lucas – the man who edged out Manly wrecking ball Haumole Olakau’atu – missed a crucial tackle in the build-up to Queensland’s first try and was largely anonymous. 

Mitchell Moses was used as a speed bump by the Maroons, missing eight tackles and being taken off as a precaution in the dying stages of his first outing in a month since injuring his hamstring.

And when the game was slipping away the Blues, hooker Api Koroisau was left on the bench as Daley dithered and delayed using his final interchange. 

The Blues only sent Ethan Strange on when Kotoni Staggs was sinbinned when it was too little too late. 

Daley can’t afford to be so rigid in game three because if he does then his Origin record will likely read: coached seven, lost six.