Blues coach Brad Fittler invoked Ian Thorpe to get New South Wales home
As the Blues stared down the barrel of letting the decider slip away, Brad Fittler sent down one last message to his team - remember what Thorpie told us.
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Brad Fittler's final message of the NSW Origin campaign was about Ian Thorpe.
Yep, Thorpedo.
A directive issued with two minutes on the clock.
With the scores locked 20-all, or about to be, as Fittler's Blues gathered beneath the ANZ Stadium goalposts, waiting for Queenslander Ethan Lowe — suddenly looming as that latest contender for 'Unlikely Maroons Hero' — to convert the try that would level the game.
A try Lowe himself had orchestrated minutes earlier, by charging down a James Maloney kick.
At which point, it seemed Origin history was repeating.
Specifically, a past which had seen NSW lose all seven of its most recent Origin deciders.
Just as the Blues had never gone back-to-back, as they were attempting to now, since 2005.
Truly, everywhere you looked history was against them.
Which is when Freddy, stood behind the Blues team bench, suddenly grabbed trainer Hayden Knowles by his yellow shirt for what would be that one, final message.
But as for what Fittler would say -- who knew?
Especially given for the previous 78 minutes, the coach had alternated between his usual cool self, to getting into the face of Knowles and shouting: "Tell them to fight every f … ing second".
So now, with his final words?
"Go tell them," Fittler shouted, "that if this were easy, everyone would be doing it.
"Tell them go back to what Thorpie said … tell them to finish fast."
Immediately, Knowles nodded.
Same deal thirteen Blues when said message was delivered beneath those sticks.
All of them recalling how only days earlier, Olympic legend Ian Thorpe had addressed the group about exactly this moment.
And unlike Queensland's Coach Whisperer, did it for free.
See, rather than speak about individual achievements — of which Thorpie boasts more than enough to fill a motivational speech — he instead walked the players through that unforgettable Australian 4x100m freestyle win at the Sydney Olympics.
Remember it?
Of course, you do.
Everyone does.
That image of Thorpie playing air guitar burnt into the brain of every Aussie sports fan.
Yet rather than air guitars, it was the final few metres of said race which Fittler now demanded his players recall.
For like NSW, Australia had something of an ordinary history with the 4x100 free.
While the Americans, well, they had never known anything but Olympic gold.
A fact not lost on US star Gary Hall Jr, who famously predicted prior to the final how his mob wouldn't simply beat Australia at home, but "smash them like guitars".
Which is exactly how it seemed coming into the final lap, too.
When Hall not only led Thorpe by a half-body length on the turn, but was then expected to break away.
Like, say, Queenslanders do at the death in Origin.
But Thorpedo … he finished fast.
Famously mowing down Hall in the final strokes, before then jumping from the pool to join Michael Klim, Ashley Callus and Chris Fydler playing air guitar.
Which stood beneath those ANZ sticks, Freddy wanted his players reminded of.
So they were.
Powered home like Thorpie, too.
History now showing that, at rugby league’s equivalent of hitting the pool wall, Blues fullback James Tedesco finished an incredible Origin try that was started back upfield by Pearce.
The same Pearce who had never won an Origin series.
Who was said to be mentally shot.
A fella who, with the result in the balance, finished fastest.
Originally published as Blues coach Brad Fittler invoked Ian Thorpe to get New South Wales home