Why Laurie Daley is the ideal man to end the NSW Blues' nightmare

MORE than anyone, Laurie Daley was the man who swung Origin dominance our way in the 90s and he will do the same as coach.

MORE than anyone, Laurie Daley was the man who swung Origin dominance our way in the 90s and he will do the same as coach.

Laurie has a quiet, understated strength. In his playing days, no one got more respect from his fellow professionals.

Daley had an incredible aura about him, which over the years we've tended to forget. It's only natural, people fall in love with new heroes, which happens when the mouthguard is replaced by the microphone, the battlefield for the broadcast box.

Commentary was always going to be difficult for Laurie, he's simply too good a bloke, too fair.

Rugby league commentary is more suited to we flawed types, who conveniently forget our own shortcomings when happily pointing out those of others.

But Daley's aura has returned, as he himself has returned to what he knows best, State of Origin football.

In the early 90s, after a successful State of Origin series, my Knights teammate Paul Harragon, who had just played under Laurie's captaincy, described Daley as "the most inspirational footballer'' he'd ever played with.

The Chief was in awe of Laurie: "Whenever we needed something, a big tackle, a big play, a crucial try, Laurie came up with it.''

Laurie's presence and leadership was the cornerstone of why the Blues of that era dominated some great Queensland teams, led by none other than Mal Meninga.

The man Daley takes over from as coach was also a key player in those great Blues sides, his clubmate, Ricky Stuart.

Daley

In styles Stuart and Daley couldn't be more different.

Ricky Stuart the player was exactly like Ricky Stuart the Origin coach. Constantly getting into the head of his opponent, talking, sledging, scheming.

Ricky nearly drove his old mate Meninga mad. That's Ricky.

Likewise Laurie Daley the player, shares similarities with Laurie Daley the Origin coach. There are few words, just a strong, narrow focus on what he needs to do to get the job done.

Don't expect Laurie to head up advertising campaigns, don't expect inspirational speeches or bold promises, it's not his style.

Laurie Daley will get the job done in his own way and already he's quietly gone about doing some very clever things, in his normal unassuming style.

From the opening rounds Daley locked in Mitchell Pearce as his halfback. This was met with surprise and some criticism.

Daley stated that he wanted Mitchell to go about his week to week football confident and clear headed.

Laurie remembers how important this is.

It's proven a masterstroke, Mitchell Pearce is in career best form and last week outplayed Queensland chief playmaker, Johnathan Thurston.

But while Laurie had chosen to take pressure off his halfback, he has kept the pressure well and truly on all his No.6 options and again it's proving to be an inspired move.

Each week we are seeing the incumbent five-eighth Todd Carney, the Roosters' James Maloney and South Sydney's John Sutton elevating themselves in the hope of partnering Pearce.

How these players are performing under pressure is the perfect Origin preparation.

And while we in the media speculate on who will be selected, Daley as is his style and continues to give nothing away.

In recent years people, at times, viewed Laurie's silence as weakness.

Like the many times Laurie has ignored Anthony Mundine's public jibes, questioning Daley's greatness as a player and other more personal barbs.

Considering the statistics and achievements of Laurie Daley, any engagement in a war of words with Mundine, would surely deliver Loz a knockout victory. Yet he remains silent. Great strength. Class.

Likewise, I found it very strange in the lead up to the Indigenous All Stars match in February, when the normally media shy Wayne Bennett referred to Laurie Daley as unproven and being the wrong choice for NSW coach. Since when did Wayne start caring for the Blues so much?

In true Daley style, he remained silent on the criticism, then coached his Indigenous team to a 32-6 victory over Bennett's All Stars.

Queensland coach Mal Meninga knows the presence and leadership that Laurie Daley is about to bring to his Blues campaign.

After all, Big Mal has passed the baton to a younger Laurie before.

It was the Origin series of 1993, the Blues are holding onto a narrow lead with only seconds remaining, and Queensland trying to come up with a miracle play coming off their own line.

Suddenly they push the ball wide, break clear and the miracle looks a possibility.

The ball ends up in the hands of Big Mal and he is sprinting toward the tryline, when suddenly his young clubmate Laurie Daley comes across in cover.

Only Laurie stands between Mal and a Maroons series victory.

The giant Meninga would surely bulldoze over the top of the Junee junior like he has to so many defenders during his career.

Yet Mal hesitates. he slows, turns and instead, looks for support. Daley knocks him to the ground, NSW win the game and go on to win the series.

Daley and Meninga's Canberra coach Tim Sheens at the time called that moment a changing of the guard.

The old bull nodding and acknowledging the young bull's time had come.

That time's come again.