NSW Blues hire a private tailor to help make jerseys extra tight

NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler is known for his unconventional approach to his role and getting those jerseys extra tight for Origin I were all part of his game plan.

Were skin-tight jerseys one of the reasons behind NSW’s success? Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Was this the secret weapon that helped NSW destroy Queensland in the State of Origin this week?

The Blues have gone to the extraordinary length of employing a private tailor to help win this year’s series.

NSW coach Brad Fittler has revealed every one of his players had their Blues jersey nipped and tucked just that little bit tighter, in a bid to decrease the chances of the Maroons making tackles in Origin I in Townsville.

Queensland missed 44 tackles – the most in two years – as the Blues recorded a 50-6 victory.

Fittler has a history of searching for any advantage the Blues can find.

Were skin-tight jerseys one of the reasons behind NSW’s success? Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

He has enforced a mobile phone ban on players throughout their Origin preparation, used a breathing expert to teach the players how to relax under pressure, included yoga and salsa to increase their flexibility and adopted barefoot “earthing”, where his players walk without shoes on a patch of grass to “reconnect with the earth.’’

Fittler said the jerseys was just another way of hunting for a winning edge.

“We’ve also had former referees come into camp to work with us, we’re always looking for that one per cent difference,’’ Fittler said.

“And so this is something that we did before the game.  “A tailor measured the waist, chest and width of every one of our players in camp and then we had our Puma jerseys taken in that extra inch.

It took several staff members to tear the skin-tight jerseys from the backs of NSW players. Picture: y Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

“Very grateful to be back in that very tight blue jersey,” Latrell Mitchell joked after the match. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

“We can only guess if it made a difference but I’d like to think it did.

“Like everything, if you never do it, you’ll never know. And I’m not about to die wondering.’’

Gone are the days of footballers wearing loose and baggy jerseys of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

Defenders once found it easy to latch on to a rival player’s jersey and fling him to the ground.

But not anymore.

Inside the NSW dressing room last Wednesday night, it was noticeable that it took several staff members to tear the skin-tight jerseys from the backs of the Blues players, including man of the match Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell, who joked about the jerseys afterwards.

“Very grateful to be back in that very tight blue jersey,” he said.

The skin-tight jerseys are nothing like those of days which were baggy and allowed for defenders to hang on like Matt Sing is doing here to Jamie Ainscough.

“It’s the closest thing to me painting a NSW logo and a number on the players back with body paint,’’ Fittler said. “To everyone else, a jersey just might be a piece of equipment, but to us, we’re seeing if there’s any way to optimise performance.

“Attention to detail is everything as Origin is the biggest arena with the best players so any extra advantage is key.”

The Blues players will again wear their “sprayed-on” jerseys when they ­attempt to wrap up the series against Queensland in game two at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on June 27.

Originally published as NSW Blues hire a private tailor to help make jerseys extra tight