NSW Blues poised to shift away from Blue Mountains training base as Laurie Daley explores new options

After solid rain and heavy fields hindered the Blues’ 2025 Origin preparations, the NSW side is poised to shift away from their Blue Mountains base, with the likes of Wollongong and Melbourne among their options.

The Blues might have the blues with the Blue Mountains.

NSW’s State of Origin side is poised to shift away from their Blue Mountains home base and hit the road for 2026.

This masthead has been told that the two-year tenure at Leura might be over with NSW management and coach Laurie Daley exploring other locations including Melbourne, Kingscliff, central coast and Wollongong.

While a final decision hasn’t been reached, NSW players are likely to be based in Melbourne before the MCG game and then be accommodated at picturesque Kingscliff on the NSW far north coast before Origin III in Brisbane.

No decision has been reached around whether the team would stay in Sydney before the Accor Stadium opener.

The NSW team could remain based in Sydney but there are close-by locations being explored on the south coast, around Wollongong, and central coast.

Laurie Daley is believed to be exploring new locations for the Blues. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Former NSW coach Michael Maguire took NSW to the Fairmont Resort in Leura with success in 2024 and Laurie Daley returned to the Blue Mountains this year.

Solid rain and heavy training fields hindered NSW’s training sessions this year at Blue Mountains Grammar School in nearby Wentworth Falls.

The weather and a series loss has prompted Daley and the Blues to consider shifting in a new direction for next year’s series which starts in Sydney (May 27) before moving to Melbourne (June 17) and then Brisbane (July 8).

The Blues have been in the Blue Mountains for two years. Picture: Rohan Kelly

While some training sessions will still be schedule for the NSWRL Centre of Excellence at Sydney Olympic Park, the Blues could be Melbourne for up to a week leading into the second game.

The Blues have some senior staff members from Melbourne Storm, including Blues assistant coach Craig Bellamy and team performance manager Frank Ponissi.

Bellamy hasn’t yet confirmed he will return to the NSW coaching staff for 2026 but the team’s mooted move to Melbourne may help lure him back.

And there are also discussions about returning to Kingscliff, where NSW has previously be housed under Daley, in his first term as NSW coach, and then Brad Fittler.

NSW lost the 2025 series to Queensland in the decider. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The drive from Kingscliff to Suncorp Stadium is about 90 minutes.

The Blues previously stayed at Salt, which is a five-minute drive to the centre of Kingscliff, which is just a 16 minute drive from the Queensland border.

NSW would likely travel to Brisbane a day or two before the game and complete their captain’s run at Suncorp Stadium.

Players privately claim it better to have a varied build-up rather than be stuck in the same hotel for all three games.

NSWRL management is tipped to make a final decision on all locations within the next three weeks.

After leading one-nil, NSW lost this year’s series 2-1 and will be desperately hoping to secure a first-up win in front of a passionate home crowd at Accor Stadium.

Originally published as NSW Blues poised to shift away from Blue Mountains training base as Laurie Daley explores new options