NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler has used his final press conference ahead of tonight’s State of Origin decider to declare he can’t see the Queensland Maroons winning because his NSW stars simply want it more.
The absence of Cameron Munster is a huge blow for the Maroons, but Fittler refuted the suggestion that his team were going to face an ambush at Suncorp Stadium.
“It’s all set up for a good game,” Fittler said.
“At the end of the day, for whatever reason, some team is going to come out and want it a bit more than the other.”
“It will be (NSW). I’ve seen the way they’ve trained, the preparation they’ve put in. I just can’t see any other result.”
The subject of referees also came up following Fittler’s criticism of Ashley Klein following the series opener. The Blues coach said his side is prepared to be on the wrong side of tight calls in an amped-up Suncorp cauldron.
“I can’t control Ashley Klein. He’s a fair referee and I’m sure he’ll be fair (tonight).”
Blues captain James Tedesco echoed Fittler's sentiments but was also quick to assert that the Blues weren’t making excuses.
“We’re not going to expect many calls to go our way,” Tedesco said.
“That’s just how it is up here. That’s not an excuse, that’s just how it is. I’m fine with that.”
History is against Fittler’s team this evening, with the oft-repeated statistic that the Blues have won just two Origin deciders in Queensland since the three-game series was introduced casting a shadow over much of the conversation around the game.
Fittler knows first-hand how hard it can be, being a member of the 1994 NSW squad that became the first to win it all north of the border.
But the coach says it’s just another hurdle for a team that has accomplished so much so far.
“I’m assuming Queensland will have more experience than us. It’s not as if we’re playing a bunch of rookies. There are a lot of players who can create points and opportunities.”
“I’m totally aware of what they’re capable of.”
The State of Origin decider kicks off tonight at 8.10pm.
“I can’t control Ashley Klein. He’s a fair referee and I’m sure he’ll be fair (tonight).”
A statement that implies some referees are NOT fair.
Doesn’t Brad Fittler follow the news? Doesn’t he know that Brandon Smith has just been suspended for impugning the integrity of a referee?
Poor choice of words perhaps? Maybe what he wanted to convey was: “Ashley Klein is a good referee. He usually gets the 50-50 calls right” (or something like that) but as it stands, he just sounds like Brandon Smith