What’s the Buzz: NSW coach Laurie Daley backflipped on decision to dump Andrew Fifita to bench
A positional change could have cost NSW an Origin series, with Laurie Daley backflipping on a behind-closed-doors decision to dump a starting player to the bench.
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AN 11th-hour positional change could have cost NSW the State of Origin series, with coach Laurie Daley backflipping on a behind-closed-doors decision to dump Andrew Fifita to the bench.
The Sunday Telegraph can today reveal the untold story behind the Blues’ heartbreaking Origin III loss at Suncorp Stadium last Wednesday, with a confrontation between Daley and Fifita sending the Blues into a pre-match selection spin.
In a change-of-heart decision that has put his NSW job in doubt, Daley reinstated Fifita to the NSW starting side on game day after dropping the firebrand for David Klemmer.
It is understood the stunning U-turn, that angered several senior NSW players, came after Fifita confronted Daley to successfully plead his starting case.
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Fifita was angered by the snub that was meant to be a secret ploy to surprise Queensland.
The giant was asked to play a game-breaking role from the bench after successfully being targeted by the Maroons in NSW’s gut-wrenching Origin II defeat.
Aaron Woods and Klemmer had prepared to start the match with a mission to set a solid platform for Fifita and his high-risk, yet potentially matchwinning, rugby league.
Klemmer refused to talk about the circumstances that cost him his Origin start when contacted by The Sunday Telegraph.
“Yes, I was told I was starting,’’ Klemmer said. “But I didn’t. That is all I will say.’’
The move backfired on Daley, with Fifita making just 54m from nine runs after being nullified by the Maroons in the middle.
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Klemmer, meanwhile, was arguably NSW’s best.
He was rewarded with selection in Australian coach Mal Meninga’s inaugural Origin merit squad, in which he was named to start at prop.
Fifita was overlooked despite his Origin I heroics.
The Bulldogs giant made 166m from 17 carries and also rattled Queensland with several heavy defensive hits.
Daley, who is yet to confirm whether he will continue as NSW coach next year, was unavailable for comment.
The man who finally snapped Queensland’s record-breaking winning streak with a historic series win in 2014, Daley has been told the NSW job is still his if he wants it despite calls for Andrew Johns to be parachuted in as his replacement.
Daley has been NSW coach since 2013.
TICKET TO HIDE: FREE RIDE FOR AFL
TICKETEK has offered to retrain staff at Penrith’s leagues club after a Panthers World of Entertainment employee made the embarrassing mistake of printing an AFL logo on an NRL ticket.
In a blue that prompted Ticketek to call the NRL and issue an explanation for promoting a rival code, a ticket to Penrith’s home clash against the Sea Eagles was sold at Panthers with a 2016 AFL grand final logo instead of the NRL’s stamp.
The punter spotted the error and presented it to Panthers legend Royce Simmons, who he asked to notify officials at the club.
Operator error has been blamed for the rogue ticket with the offending worker an employee of Panthers.
Ticketek claims the employee was responsible for checking the ticket against the screen before issuing it to the customer.
The ticketing giant has offered to retrain Panthers staff to ensure there’s no more cross-code bloopers.
KNIGHTS HAS ‘FRIENDS’ IN HIGH PLACES
KNIGHTS forward Lachlan Fitzgibbon might just be the most well connected identity in rugby league. Hailing from a powerhouse family that rules the Hunter Valley, Fitzgibbon’s father, Mark, is the chief executive and managing director of NIB. His uncle, Joel (left), is the Member for Hunter.
In what could be seen as a changing of the guard, a highly educated son of a business boss who would have traditionally been drawn towards rival code rugby union.
Instead, this giant forward is playing for the working-class Newcastle Knights after choosing to play rugby league for the South Newcastle Lions.
With a CEO for a father and an MP for an uncle, Fitzgibbon is not surprisingly kicking on-field and off-field goals. The rangy backrower is in the last year of a building construction degree at Newcastle University.
It’s lucky for Nathan Brown that Fitzgibbon can certainly play, with the Knights coach certain to be in tough spot if he ever has to drop the rising star given NIB is also Newcastle’s major sponsor.
FITTLER A GREAT FIT
LEBANON rugby league’s founding father John Elias has endorsed Brad Fittler as the Cedars’ coach for this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. “It is a great appointment,’’ Elias said. “And a good move for the international game.”
POOR CANADIANS LEFT HIGH AND DRY
NRL players might want to spare a thought for our Canadian rugby league cousins while bickering over millions in their next pay deal.
The Canadian World Cup teams don’t receive a cent of funding from the Canadian government as they refuse to recognise rugby league and union as separate sports.
The women’s team — the Ravens — are doing their own fundraising to get to Australia for the World Cup later this year.
BETTES QUICK OFF THE MARK
AUSTRALIA’s fastest woman is not Cathy Freeman, Cate Campbell or Anna Meares.
Little known Kelly Bettes became Australia’s undisputed “Speed Queen” this month when she was the first homegrown woman to break the 500km/h barrier. Bettes reached a record-breaking 524km/h in a Top Fuel dragcar at Willowbank Raceway to become the fastest woman in Australia’s history. The 32-year-old covered the quarter mile in 4.66 seconds from a standing start to beat the former fastest female driver, Rachelle Splatt, who was the first woman in the world to break the 300mp/h (483km/h) mark.
“Kelly is a very impressive, talented young woman who has grown up around motorsport,’’ said drag racing commentator Gerald McDornan. “Kelly’s the real deal, a racer who’s not interested in the bright lights, she’s only interested in win lights. Australian drag racing has a new star on its hands.”
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