The Blues’ miracle masked the truth: they were awful and changes have to be made |
The Blues’ miracle masked the truth: they were awful and changes have to be made
May 29, 2026 — 3:30pm
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It may have been a record and a ground-shaking comeback victory, but there’s no sugar-coating it: the Blues were poor on Wednesday night.
Coach Laurie Daley knows it. The best thing he said post match was: “If we turn up at the MCG and play like that, we’ll lose.”
For Blues fans, that’s a positive. The worst thing would have been for NSW to revel in the victory against a 12-man Maroons outfit and roll out the same team in game two.
There have to be changes.
The old boys think rugby league rules shouldn’t apply to Origin. Are they right?
Malcolm KnoxJournalist, author and columnist
Journalist, author and columnist
Again, Daley’s team was jumped in the first 20 minutes, just as they were in games two and three last year.
At the 30-minute mark in the last three Origins, NSW has trailed 20-6, 16-0 and 20-0.
That’s appalling and speaks to a serious fault line in the team, its defensive strategies and preparation.
Change one will be Payne Haas’ return. Mitch Barnett was under-done and Addin Fonua-Blake........