NSW Blues head coach Laurie Daley has turned his winners' press conference into a tense stand-off over the state of rugby league coverage.
Daley has been dragged through the mud throughout the series by sections of the media, with some suggestions his own playing group had enough of him, and plenty of criticism shipped the way of Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary.
A loss in Game 3 would have no doubt sparked a fire in the media over the coming weeks, but instead, Daley, whose side put together a spectacular performance in Game 3 to take a win - and their second decider on enemy territory in three years - was able to rip into the storylines and criticism around the series.
"No one likes criticism, I get that. But you know it comes, so you have to accept it and cop it, but there are some parts of it that goes way above others," Daley said early in his press conference.
"I get really disappointed with that. People that report like that need to have a hard look at themselves.
"This week, I just wanted us to prove to ourselves that we are a good footy side, and that's what we had been building. I was really happy with the performance, and really happy that everyone gave everything they had, and that's what you're after."
That set the scene for further comments throughout the press conference, with Daley questioning why Nathan Cleary comes in for such a hard time from the media.
"He's right up there, isn't he?" Daley asked.
"You judge them at the end of their careers, but what he has done has been remarkable. Four consecutive premierships, and I just don't get why people want to take down champions.
"I don't get it. He is a champion, has done some terrific things, and why does he have to do something like he has done for people to go he isn't a bad player?
"It does my head in. He is a legend of the game with what he has done."
Isaah Yeo agreed with his coach, saying that Nathan Cleary wasn't there for box-ticking.
"He doesn't need to. He isn't box-ticking for his career, but he is the kind of player you just know he was going to prepare harder than anyone on either side," Yeo said on Cleary.
"He was disappointed, obviously, on the back of that Game 2 with some uncharacteristic errors, but you just know he was going to stay in the moment, stay present. I just feel like you knew what you were going to get with him tonight.
"On the biggest stage, we have all seen it so much before, whether it's grand finals, Origin or playing for Australia. It's just nice. I don't think he feels like he needs to silence anyone, but as a close friend and a teammate, I like to see him do it."
Daley then took his frustration out on people who don't understand the role of a coach and took aim at reporters who don't attend training.
"I'm a leader. There is a difference between leader and coaching. Go and ask Billy why he has assistant coaches. Why do we have assistant attack and defence coaches?" Daley asked.
"You know what a coach does? The coach drives it. So it just frustrates me; it frustrates me a lot. But the coach sets the tone; the coach talks to his coaches about how they want to implement plans. Some of this stuff that has been written and said, come on..."
"Hopefully those blokes might have a decent look at themselves.
"In particular, when people have a crack, and they won't even show up to training or press conferences. Show some balls. Where are they now?
"I just think it was unnecessary. I think there was hidden agendas, I think things were planted in the media, so I'd love to know where that comes from.
"When you have put a lot into the game, and trying to put a lot into the person you are, and people attack you from an angle that you go, wow, anyway, that's my rant."
