Again To The Future By no means Works And It Gained’t Work Right here
Regardless of being given an obscene 5 sequence with only a single sequence win, Laurie Daley is again in command of New South Wales, ringing in one other period of underachievement and underwhelming play from a state that has made the 2 its calling playing cards.
To the shock – and sure dismay – of a state, Daley was named forward of youthful, extra proficient and extra in-touch coaches who’ve way more upside to educate the Blues once more.
His report and the very fact he has been working in playing media that has prevented him from having any formal position within the sport was no deterrent to the geniuses on the NSWRL.
One want solely head to the NSWRL web site and click on on the Board of Administrators to see how the search led them to a failed 55-year-old coach with no NRL expertise who doesn’t work inside an NRL system.
The all-white, seven male/one feminine board are almost all north of 60. It’s fairly obvious that each one the NSWRL brass search for in a coach is an iconic participant with Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley and Brad Fittler completely on the helm since 2011 apart from final 12 months when Michael Maguire guided the Blues to a win. The Blues gained simply 4 of 13 sequence beneath the ‘legends’.
It’s a trope that has failed time and time once more – and the frequent thread over the Daley and Fittler years has been their whole lack of awareness of each the intricacies of the present sport and getting ready the present era of top-level expertise. But again to the properly the Blues go.
In an try to copy what Queensland did with Mal Meninga, the NSWRL brass have burnt sequence after sequence with out really understanding the mannequin that labored.
Meninga didn’t succeed with Queensland – and subsequently – as a result of he was a legend. He succeeded as a result of he introduced little ego to the roles, basically offloading sport plans and coaching classes and techniques to those that know higher. None of Stuart, Daley or Fittler have been in a position to sublimate their ego and herald proficient offsiders who knew what they have been doing.
The excuse that has typically been rolled out is that Queensland have had a greater workforce. That has been partially true. In the course of the early a part of the Daley period, Queensland have been on the tail finish of their unprecedented dominance and did maintain a expertise edge.
Additionally it is true that the Blues coach has contributed considerably to New South Wales not selecting anyplace close to their strongest 17. Self-immolation is just not an excuse – it’s an issue – and it’s an issue that looms massive as soon as once more.
Daley has been strongly lauded by the NSWRL PR division and his patsies within the mainstream media because the coach who ended Queensland’s run of dominance. That’s, certainly, a reality. What can also be a reality is that Queensland then kicked off one other period of dominance by successful three straight sequence – all towards Daley’s Blues.
Laurie Daley. (Photograph by Mark Kolbe/Getty Photos)
The hallmarks of Daley’s teaching reign throughout his first stint on the helm of the Blues have been a very inept assault and a hardcore conservatism with regard choice that it appeared as if making a change would bestow upon him a painful, deadly ailment.
Daley led the Blues 15 instances. New South Wales surpassed 20 factors simply twice. They have been saved to eight or fewer six instances. 9 instances the Blues failed to interrupt 12 factors. In the course of the Daley period, New South Wales averaged an anaemic 12.6 factors per sport. On 9 events the Blues had scored six or fewer first half factors. Within the lengthy historical past of Origin, it actually doesn’t get a lot worse than that.
Arguably extra damaging was the blind loyalty Daley confirmed that lacked each gumption and customary sense. Gamers like Matt Moylan, Dylan Walker and Blake Ferguson have been undroppable at levels whereas a participant like James Tedesco was frequently neglected. Daley would decide gamers out of place after which conceal behind incumbency to maintain them within the workforce.
With Daley on the helm, New South Wales didn’t play to win – they performed to not lose.
That’s to say nothing of the tradition Daley instilled, which Phil Gould was extremely important of on the time, saying he didn’t need Penrith gamers concerned within the Blues setup.
It’s beautiful that the Blues brass didn’t study from Maguire.
Sure, he leveraged the Blues job for a plum membership gig however he did win a sequence and he did it by doing issues his means, most notably shifting camp from the Jap Suburbs to the Blue Mountains. Whereas Maguire didn’t get every thing proper, it was obvious from the get-go that he was higher outfitted to guide a sequence of elite stars right into a sequence.
New South Wales have been as ready, as settled, as impressed as they’ve been in twenty years final 12 months.
Daley had his crack. He had 5. He failed 4 instances. His choices have been poor and his resistance to vary was damaging. His groups couldn’t rating. His tradition was slammed. But he’s again in cost.
Queenslanders should be rubbing their fingers in glee.
