NSW chiefs make call on Laurie Daley’s coaching future after State of Origin disaster
NSW fans were immediately calling for Laurie Daley to be sacked after losing the unlosable Origin series and now Blues chiefs have made a call on the coach’s future.
Laurie Daley will remain the NSW Blues coach next year despite calls for him to be axed after Wednesday’s 24-12 defeat saw the Origin shield head north.
NSW has already had three coaches in three years – Brad Fittler, Michael Maguire and Daley – yet after losing the unlosable series, Blues fans were calling for the coach’s head.
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But according to Code Sports, that won’t be happening, with NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden confirming his job is safe.
“Laurie is contracted for next year and we don’t break contracts,” Trodden said.
“He was devastated after the game and we’re all disappointed.
“But you don’t achieve sustained success by constantly chopping and changing your coach. You settle on a plan, put processes in place and stick to it. That’s what we’ll be doing.”
Daley stepped back into the Origin arena following an eight-year absence for the 2025 campaign. But he was once again thoroughly outcoached.
The 55-year-old has now won just one of six series in charge and on each occasion has shown he is not willing to forego loyalty to make the hard call.
Keeping the same 17 for the third and deciding game blew up in his face and backed up the theory that he is simply too nice and too loyal to succeed as a coach at Origin level.
Michael Maguire shook things up last year and it led to immediate success.
While this year Maroons coach Billy Slater found himself under pressure for the first time, after his side were comprehensively beaten at their Suncorp fortress.
So what did he do? He pulled the trigger on several tough selection calls.
The decision to drop captain Daly Cherry-Evans and bring in Tom Dearden at halfback after Game 1, is a call if roles were reversed Daley simply wouldn’t have made.
While he also resisted the temptation to replace the injured Kalyn Ponga with Reece Walsh, instead opting for the more consistent and reliable Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, an inspired decision.
Daley on the other hand overlooked two form props in May and Koloamatangi, for King and Utoikamanu.
So with Daley back at the helm in 2026, fans will undoubtedly hope he has learned from it.
He will also be joined again next year by Storm coach Craig Bellamy and Melbourne’s general manager of football Frank Ponissi.