NSW coach Laurie Daley reveals his Origin promise to a fearful Robbie Farah

IT’S Laurie Daley’s post-match promise that looks set to deliver South Sydney hooker Robbie Farah a NSW Origin recall this season.

IT’S the post-match promise that looks set to deliver Robbie Farah a NSW Origin recall this season.

Cast your mind back to Origin 3 last year and Farah feared he may have played his last game in the sky Blue jumper.

The ongoing dramas at the Tigers with then coach Jason Taylor had the veteran hooker seriously weighing up his future, including retirement.

It’s why Farah approached Blues coach Laurie Daley, who pledged he would pick him for the 2017 series if he was fit and firing.

EARLY MAIL: TIGERS’ FEARS CONFIRMED

“We spoke about Origin and my commitment to Robbie was if he is playing well and he is the best hooker then we will select him,” Daley told The Daily Telegraph.

“That was the discussion we had post last year’s series.

“I said to him last year when we were talking about a lot of issues when he was going through his dramas and whether he was going to retire or go to England.

“He was wondering if that was his last game, so I just told him we’ll be picking who we think at the time is the best player in that position.

“Robbie knows that. He is playing well at the moment for Souths, so it’s great. Robbie is playing well and there is no reason not to consider him.”

Farah may be performing at his new home South Sydney, but he is still facing pressure to retain the NSW No. 9 jumper.

Veteran Penrith hooker Peter Wallace has started the season in fine form, while he has previously played four Origins for the Blues.

NSW could also opt to take a risk and play someone like Cronulla livewire Jack Bird at hooker.

According to Tigers skipper and former teammate Aaron Woods, though, Farah deserves to keep his position in the NSW starting side.

“I think Robbie has been playing really good footy,” Woods said. “Obviously he hasn’t been playing 80 minutes, so he is still going to be fresh.

“He has got out of the drama and he is in a really good head space at the moment, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t be the No.9.

“We’ve got a lot of youth in the side, but we’ve still got the old heads like Farah.

“You still need those guys around. When times get tough, you look for your senior players and blokes like Robbie.”

Farah’s freshness and experience could be valuable to NSW. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

Daley, meanwhile, looks set to blood more youth to the Blues’ line-up in this year’s series.

Manly brothers Tom and Jake Trbojevic are in line to make their debuts after being called into camp as 18th and 19th man last year.

Daley said it has always been his plan to gradually introduce the state’s next generation of stars.

“That’s the only way I know how to do it,” he said.

“While you are playing a champion Queensland team, to throw a lot of young guys at their prime could have been detrimental to their careers.

“So what we’ve tried to do is slowly introduce guys and give them experience, without throwing them all in the one basket.

“Because if you throw them all in and it doesn’t work, and you’re two years down the track and they haven’t won, then people are calling for more changes and they could be scarred. So our aim has always been to drip feed them in and give them a bit of a taste.

“The Trbojevic brothers came in last year in Game 3 and they stayed the whole week and warmed up with us in case we had any injuries. They’ve been in the system and we are slowly giving them that taste.”

Tom Trbojevic looks set to earn a Blues jersey. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Daley wants to coach Origin again next season, but the final decision on his future will come down to the NSWRL board and results in this year’s series.

“My focus has always been on this (Origin),” he said.

“I don’t worry about what is going to happen after this. I sort of know in the back of my mind what I want to do and where I want to go, but for me it’s all about being committed to this job and making sure NSW win this year’s series.

“Once this is all over, I’ll let people know what I’m doing.”