There's a particular kind of pressure that only someone who has sat in the coaching chair before can understand.
On the eve of the biggest game of his coaching career, Laurie Daley decided he wanted that person in the room.
9News reported on Tuesday night that Michael Maguire quietly walked into the NSW camp on Tuesday evening, invited by Daley himself to share a final word with the playing group before Wednesday's series-deciding clash with Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.
It's a full-circle moment for the pair, as Maguire knows precisely what Daley is walking into because he walked the same road back in 2024.
That year, in Brisbane, the Blues claimed an epic 14-4 win over the Maroons.
The baton passed with Maguire taking up a head-coaching job with the Brisbane Broncos, and Daley stepped into the Blues coaching role.
Daley has called on his predecessor to reconnect with a group that, for many of the senior players, still carries Maguire's fingerprints.
Amid Maguire's arrival, Daley fronted the media and fielded pointed questions about where his own future sits.
Daley hopes the Blues players aren't motivated to play for Daley's future, as multiple players have said they are playing for their coach on Wednesday night.
"I hope that is not their why," Daley said to the media on Tuesday.
"I think playing Origin is about who you are representing."
Whatever fuels them, the moment of reckoning arrives soon enough.
The series decider is on Wednesday night at Suncorp Stadium, with the final game of the series determining the winner for the fifth consecutive year.
