New South Wales State of Origin icon Ben Elias has revealed the true extent of the hurt experienced by Blues players following their devastating loss in the 2022 Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium.
โI went into the dressing room and they were mortified,โ Elias divulged to The Fox League Podcast.
Elias said Blues players were apologising to him and other Blues legends in the aftermath of the result.
โIt was very sad. Players were coming up to me and saying sorry.
โI said โwhat are you sorry about? Be very proud.โ
โThey got beat โ whoop-dee-doo. Itโs not the end of the world.โ
Speaking from personal experience, Elias โ who played 19 games for the Blues between 1985 and 1994 โ encouraged the shattered playing group to savour the pain and prepare for their next opportunity to exact revenge.
โI just said to them โremember the hurt in 12 monthsโ time,โ Elias said.
โRemember what youโre feeling right now. Thatโs the way we start today โ we start working for next year. Payback โ thatโs our theme and we are going for it.โ
โWeโre going to embarrass them 3-0. Thatโs our answer to the disappointment.โ
Despite the disappointment, Elias said the team should be proud of themselves for never relenting in what was a brutal contest from the outset.
โThatโs as physical a game as Iโve seen in a long time. They were very physically committed.โ
