State of Origin 2022: Brad Fittler’s NSW Blues coaching career defined by six big calls
Brad Fittler is defined by Freddyball, a process of picking teams that involves form, feel and The Pig.
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Brad Fittler, they say, was milling about with his players in City Origin camp, killing time before team photos in 2014, when somebody showed him the tweet.
Specifically, one short, punchy post by Piggy. Aka, Mark Riddell.
That knockabout NRL cult figure who, by now three years retired, and likely kicked back in the lounge at home, Tooheys New in hand as we’ve always envisioned it, tweeted out: “I wonder how many times this week we’ll hear about this game meaning more to Country …”
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Which immediately made Fittler smile.
Not only because Piggy’s message was one he understood, and had already identified himself — but now wanted broken.
Knowing that in recent years, the annual City-Country match had shifted away from its initial life as a NSW Origin trial and into an annual tribute to all things bush footy.
A contest where, increasingly, year after year, his Sydney boys were being sent west like rugby league’s version of The Washington Generals.
Problem was, Fittler prefers winning.
So that was it.
“Get Pig on the phone,” the City coach told a staffer.
Huh?
“Mark Riddell, give him a call for me”.
So they did.
Which is how some 60 minutes later, and with a travel bag slung over one shoulder, Mark ‘Piggy’ Riddell arrived at Coogee’s Crowne Plaza hotel to join the City Origin coaching staff — and by Sunday, help orchestrate one of rugby league’s greatest representative comebacks.
Remember it?
When down by 16 points with just four minutes to play in Dubbo, Fittler’s underdogs stormed home to clinch a draw so unlikely, it felt like a win.
Certainly was celebrated that way down on the interchange bench, too.
Where decked out in a team tracksuit, and carrying the title of team Social Director, Pig celebrated with the likes of Ryan Hoffman, Michael Lichaa, Jorge Taufua and Beau Falloon.
Which is a story worth remembering now.
Especially given only three days out from Origin I, Fittler is again being debated, dissected and in several areas panned over a whole heap of decisions which include, in no particular order, axing Jake Trbojevic and Josh Addo-Carr, picking Daniel Tupou on height, picking Ryan Matterson as a bolter, even starting Jack Wighton at centre.
Which is all very Freddyball, right?
That wonderful process for selecting teams which, rather than decimal points defining Moneyball, focuses instead on form, feel and whatever else Fittler believes will win come Wednesday night.
And as the most capped NSW Origin player ever, he should know, right?
Which is why when Fittler makes a decision, he goes all in.
Think John Daly standing on the back markers, gasper dangling from his mouth and three wood in hand.
Which isn’t to say things have always gone his way. They haven’t.
For proof, think 2020 and the worst Queensland Origin side in history.
Should he have picked Ryan Papenhuyzen for the decider?
Maybe. But again, three wood.
A mantra that over the past eight years has seen Fittler, as either City or NSW Origin coach, depart without a shield just twice.
Which undoubtedly, has come with some Queensland greats also departing.
But a man can only face the opponent he gets.
Which first time, Fittler did with 11 Origin debutants — and won. Same as next year, he made seven changes before game two — and won the series again.
Both of which form part of the six greatest calls of Freddyball ....
1. ORIGIN I, 2018 — 11 NEW FACES
Fittler showed exactly how Freddyball would define his tenure as Blues coach when, on day one, he sauntered into camp with 11 debutants.
Among them, the likes of Nathan Cleary, Latrell Mitchell, Damien Cook and Tommy Trbojevic.
While there would be much gnashing of teeth around said selections, Fittler’s mob would not only win the series within two games, or launch a host of Origin stars, but create the platform for all that has followed.
Like in that Captain’s Run before the series opener, traditionally a light session where players never cover more than 2km.
But Fittler had so many combinations that needed work. So he worked them.
By the finish, covering some 4.5km of ballwork.
Then next night on the MCG, they won — beginning the end of a Queensland dynasty.
2. ORIGIN II, 2019 — FITTLER DROPS LATRELL
Undoubtedly the most contentious decision of Fittler’s tenure.
After losing the opening game to Queensland, Freddy swung the axe and made seven changes including, most contentiously, Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.
While the decision undeniably proved correct – with NSW storming home to secure the series in a gripping decider – Fittler was forced to endure plenty of criticism and, unfairly, headlines hinting at racism.
Speaking with NRL.com about his Origin axing months later, Mitchell would say: “NSW went real funny on us because we don’t sing the anthem”.
The suggestion infuriated the NSWRL, given Fittler not only backed the players’ stance, or had as many Indigenous players for Origin II – with Blake Ferguson and Wade Graham recalled – but would eventually present the True Blue Award that year to Addo-Carr.
Tellingly, Mitchell eventually made peace with Fittler and has since become a Blues star.
3. CITY/COUNTRY, 2016 – WHO IS RYAN MATTERSON?
Fittler had already arrived at the Sydney Football Stadium to meet his new City Origin team in 2016 when a phone call came through to say, yet again, a player was withdrawing.
Exactly who, it doesn’t matter now.
Just know that in the previous hours, and days, NRL coaches had been pulling stars out everywhere.
And now minutes from team kits being presented, another was gone.
So immediately, Freddy jumped on the phone to City Performance coach Hayden Knowles, who at that same time was arriving into the SFS carpark.
“We need a centre,” Fittler said.
Immediately, the pair began discussing options, with the conversation eventually turning to a rookie Rooster who, in just two NRL appearances, had already filled almost every position.
Which is how minutes later, Ryan Matterson was being called out of a Tricolours gym session and into the most inexperienced City Origin side ever. An outfit so friendless with the TAB, by Sunday the strongest market backed was Country 13+.
Understandable too considering the bush side featured Boyd Cordner, James Maloney and so many other genuine rep stars, Isaah Yeo was picked on the wing.
Yet impossibly, City won.
With Matterson now, six years on, preparing for his NSW Origin debut.
4. ORIGIN II, 2020 – FREDDY STICKS WITH CLEARY
It seems unthinkable now, but there was a time not so long ago when a host of rugby league commentators, analysts, even fans, were calling for Nathan Cleary to be punted from Origin.
Specifically, after the 2020 series opener.
When Cleary wasn’t simply struggling, but had come into Origin I — his sixth match — with attacking stats that read: zero tries, zero assists, zero linebreaks, and a recent NRL grand final defeat.
So when the Blues dropped game one, calls for his sacking came from everywhere.
And, OK, the Blues would lose that series.
But the decision of Fittler to stick solid not only bucked a long Blues trend of punting playmakers, but has since been part of Cleary’s rise to arguably the No.1 player on the planet -- along the way taking NSW to three series triumphs, and counting.
5. ORIGIN III, 2019 – PEARCE WINS
It was the night Mitchell Pearce ran out for an Origin decider boasting five wins from 18 appearances – and not a single series victory.
Still, Freddy believed in him, right?
Which is why with 30 seconds to play, with Steeden in hand, scores locked, crowd hushed, and years of nothing but Origin loss as a guide, Pearcey would throw that looping left to right pass which found Tom Trbojevic, then Blake Ferguson and – 70m later – an unforgettable James Tedesco match-winner.
Here truly was a try that reeked of Freddyball.
Not only in Pearce, either. Or the resurrected Fergo.
But know the initial pass to Pearce was thrown by Blues backrower Cameron Murray who was so completely stuffed it had been suggested, several times from down on the bench, that he be removed from the field.
But the coach refused.
“No, keep him out there,” Fittler had said, backing his man. “Just keep him moving.”
6. WORLD CUP, 2017 — YOU HAVE TO SING
First day of camp with the 2017 Lebanese World Cup side, Brad Fittler revealed nobody would take the field unless they could sing the national anthem.
Coach included.
Which began a cracking, and seemingly impossible, six weeks that saw Fittler’s eclectic mob of NRL footballers, cafe owners, labourers, even players from the Lebanese national league, go all the way to the World Cup finals — and within a bee’s appendage of upsetting Tonga.
Which was unthinkable.
And undeniably, Freddyball.
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