It's pretty clear Laurie Daley will not be coaching the NSW Blues in 2027.
He didn't say it during his post-match press conference on Wednesday evening, but his rant against the media proved exactly the toll this Origin series has taken on him.
Shaping up to do that again instead of going out a winner seems long odds for a man who was a champion player, and, for the time being at least, has the last laugh after being dragged through the mud to an extent that has never really been seen before during this series.
His tactics, selections, relationships with players and more have been at the front of mind during the series in what has come across as a personal attack against the 56-year-old, who has coached the Blues 15 times and played for them on 23 occasions.
He is, without doubt, one of the longest-standing NSW representatives in history, but with Daley likely now able to step down on his own accord instead of being punted from the role, there will be question marks around who is next.
Some will vouch for Ivan Cleary, but the chance of him being picked seems slim, given he will still coach at the Penrith Panthers in 2027.
That could leave whoever takes over on a one-year trial, with Cleary then in the mix to take over for 2028.
It creates one of the trickiest decisions, maybe in NSWRL history, and one they have to get right as they aim for what would actually be a third series in four years, having won both 2026 and 2024 with deciders at Suncorp Stadium in both.
Here are the men who should be in the mix.
6. The Johns brothers
The Johns brothers are on this list because ultimately, they would do a tremendous job of running NSW, but they are also number six on the list because the chance of it happening seems remarkably slim.
Matty Johns has already suggested he'd be willing to help brother Andrew out if he took over, but Joey, one of the best Blues of all-time, has media commitments he seems to enjoy, and admitted recently it's not a role he really wants to do given the scrutiny and level of criticism thrown towards Laurie Daley.
“Nah mate,” Johns recently said on Channel Nine.
“A part of me would love to do it, but realistically the knock on Laurie the last couple of years has been inexperience, especially around the interchange.
“I can imagine the coach's box, the pressure would be incredible and I don't think I can be clear and calm enough. I probably haven't got the personality to do it.
“Our job here at Channel Nine, is try to be a straight shooter and I try to be as straight as I can and around Origin time, it murkies the water.
“If you're looking to pick a certain player and they're not in great form, you can't say it. I just find that incredibly difficult, I try to be as straight as I can and no BS, just deliver it ... I think it would compromise my job here.
“People say ‘you bleed blue and you're passionate' but what's that mean? A part of me would love to do it, but I think it would be incredibly selfish.”
Still, as a one-year play... Why not?
