The smile on NSWRL boss Dave Trodden’s face as he prepared to announce the return of Laurie Daley as NSW coach on Monday said it all. He’d won.

Seven years and three months ago, the NSWRL board had voted against Trodden’s proposal to reappoint Daley. On Monday, Trodden enjoyed the last laugh as he announced the return of his trusted ally at the helm of the NSW Origin side.

A lot has happened at the NSWRL since Daley last walked through the door, including the door itself, now leading to a swanky new centre of excellence at Sydney Olympic Park.

But that change pales into insignificance compared to the blood spilt on the boardroom floor since Daley’s first tenure ended in a series of director changes that cleared the way for his second coming.

It was at a board meeting in August 2017 – a couple of months after the Blues had just lost their third consecutive series to Queensland in what was Daley’s fifth series in charge – that Trodden presented the findings of an internal review.

Trodden ended the presentation with a recommendation that Daley’s tenure be extended by another year. He believed that Daley, who had helped break Queensland’s eight-year Origin stranglehold in 2014, deserved another chance despite the recent 2-1 series defeat, especially given the strength of the all-conquering opposition and the future Immortals the Maroons had at their disposal.

Laurie Daley is back as NSW coach.Credit: Louie Douvis / Sydney Morning Herald

Trodden’s recommendation was originally backed by the NSWRL directors, with only then-Canterbury........

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