Laurie Daley has opened up on the intense scrutiny that surrounded New South Wales' State of Origin campaign, revealing he never lost belief his side would reclaim the shield despite the criticism that followed him throughout the series.
Speaking on Steve Gillis' 'Chiming In' podcast, the Blues coach admitted he remained quietly confident heading into the decider at Suncorp Stadium, even after his side's heavy Game 2 defeat in Melbourne.
"I didn't want to tell people, but I was extremely confident we could win (Game Three). Even after Melbourne," he told Gillis, who also acts as his manager.
Daley's second stint as NSW coach was anything but straightforward.
Despite opening the series with a Game 1 victory, critics argued the Blues had only prevailed because of Kalyn Ponga's controversial send-off. When Queensland responded with a dominant win in Melbourne, the spotlight intensified on Daley's coaching decisions.
His use of the interchange became one of the biggest talking points of the series. In the opener, Daley opted not to use a specialist prop from the bench, while in Game 2, he kept Reece Robson at hooker for the entire match. Ahead of the decider, there were also widespread calls for Cameron Murray to start at lock.
Instead, Daley backed his instincts, and they were vindicated as the Blues produced a victorious Game 3 performance to seal the series.
The veteran coach made headlines after the victory when he fired back at sections of the media during his post-match press conference, insisting the criticism throughout the campaign had gone too far.
Reflecting on that moment, Daley admitted the outburst wasn't something he had planned.
"It just happened – I said to (Blues captain Isaah Yeo) on the way in: 'Oh, I think I'll leave it for another day', but then the emotion and the adrenaline kicked in," Daley said.
"People think I haven't got a hard edge. People just think they can say what they want and I'll accept it, and away you go.
"That's not a major spray from me in that press conference. You've got to be gracious when you win and gracious when you lose, but I wanted to get some things off my chest and make it clear I wasn't happy.
"I don't hold a grudge, but what you do is you'll follow what these journalists will say. If they get it wrong, well, you might call it out."
While Daley faced plenty of outside noise, he credited Blues captain Isaah Yeo as one of the biggest reasons the group remained composed after the crushing loss in Melbourne.
"(Isaah Yeo) is the best leader I've come across," he said.
"The way he galvanised the group after (Game Two), straight away he went from the disappointment of having a massive score line against you, and everyone feeling down, to talking about what a great opportunity we'll confront in three weeks. The opportunity we have at Lang Park.
"I'd ask him, 'mate, do we need to do anything different?', and he'd say 'nup, this is the way we're going', and that gave (me) great confidence."
Daley also revealed he leaned on several rugby league greats throughout the campaign, with former Blues captain Benny Elias, Paul Gallen, Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler, Paul Langmack and coaching icon Tim Sheens all reaching out to offer encouragement.
"All those guys throwing their support behind me … captains, ex-players, it was quite humbling that, when people are coming for you, people take the time out to support you.
"I love when people underestimate me. I not once doubted myself. Tim Sheens messaged me, and he goes: 'You're at your best when you're calm. Just keep it simple and trust yourself.'"
Although the NSWRL is yet to officially confirm its coaching plans for 2027, Daley is widely expected to step away from the role after guiding the Blues to this year's State of Origin triumph.
