Former NRL star Luke Keary has declared personnel changes won’t save the Blues in State of Origin III, insisting the decider will be won or lost based on the team’s mindset. In the immediate aftermath of last week’s clash, many experts called for Laurie Daley to make sweeping changes to the side.
Keary's Radical Take on Team Selection
In a passionate discussion on The Agenda Setters: Rugby League, Keary said it doesn’t matter who is picked. He flashed up a graphic of his ideal 19-player squad with just N/A written in every position. “It doesn’t matter who they pick. It does not matter,” Keary said. “They’ve got the best players in the game. They’ve got the best halfback in the world. They’ve got everyone, mate. It doesn’t matter.”
The former Blues playmaker said the key to victory at Suncorp Stadium lies in the coaching staff getting the players to believe in the cause when they enter camp. “It matters about when they get into camp, that the coach gets them together and makes them believe that they need to die for that jersey, die for the cause,” Keary said. “And they’ll do anything to win that game,” he continued.
Mindset Overhaul Needed
When pressed about whether he’d be happy with the same team, Keary doubled down on his stance. “I don’t care who they pick. It doesn’t matter,” he said. “It matters when you turn up to Suncorp. Do you believe that you’re going to win that game? Are you going to do anything?”
The discussion turned to coach Laurie Daley’s role, with Keary acknowledging there’s “obviously an issue there” but emphasising this is Daley’s chance to silence critics. “He’s 0-4 in deciders. This is his chance to go to Queensland, and it’ll all be forgotten, I think. It’ll all be forgotten if he can win it,” Keary said.
Moses Defends Fitness and Coach
Meanwhile, Mitchell Moses has hit out at criticism of Daley and defended his own fitness as the fall-out from the Blues’ loss continues. Moses will play his 250th NRL game on Thursday when Parramatta host South Sydney but on meeting the media on Tuesday, the Eels halfback was inundated with questions about the Blues’ underwhelming 44-24 loss last week.
Daley’s selections have formed the nucleus of an ugly NSW post-mortem, with the coach’s decision to pick Moses at five-eighth - despite the Parramatta captain having not played for a month with a hamstring issue — topping a long list of sore points. As Penrith coach Ivan Cleary welcomed the suggestion of shifting the interstate series to three consecutive weeks in the next TV rights cycle, Moses insisted he was 100 per cent fit in game two.
Amid calls for Ethan Strange, who debuted in the series opener, to retain his place ahead of Moses, the Blues five-eighth barely trained with his teammates in the lead-up to Origin II. “Once we started to do media, it was question after question, which is completely understandable,” Moses said. “It’s Origin, it’s the most talked about and most watched game. Obviously, I didn’t do one of the sessions and it gets spoken about.”
Daley Under Fire, Martin a Potential Boost
Daley’s hopes of winning the decider have not been helped by the fact Latrell Mitchell has already been ruled out of game three with a calf issue. Moses said he was gutted for Mitchell but added he was disheartened by the criticism Daley has faced in the aftermath of the Melbourne match. Former Blues playmakers Luke Keary and Braith Anasta have questioned Daley’s coaching.
Daley is without a contract for next year and has failed to win a game three decider across his two stints in charge of the Blues. “I don’t know where it’s coming from and to have it come from your own New South Welshmen, it’s crazy,” Moses said. “We should be getting behind Laurie as much as possible and supporting him, no matter what. If you’ve worn a Blues jersey before, get behind him and support him, don’t bag him.”
The Blues could have the option of calling on Penrith forward Liam Martin, who missed the first two games of the series through injury but has been building his fitness over recent weeks with the Panthers. “He’s a big-game player, but I’m not picking the team,” Cleary said on Tuesday. “There’s another game this week so that’s a great opportunity for him. Hopefully he has a great game for us this week, and if he does that then he’d be in the conversation somewhere.”
Stand-Alone Origin Window Suggested
Cleary, meanwhile, suggested the NRL would be wise to explore the possibility of a stand-alone Origin window in future, which would allow the NRLW clear air to launch its season. “I think that’s got merit,” Cleary said. “I think at the end of the day, the game’s got to consider whether the NRL is still a good product through that Origin period.”
