‘Anxious is the right word’: Laurie Daley closes in on significant coaching milestone

Athletes around the world have embraced the idea that pressure is a privilege. It’s no different for the Blues who have stayed loyal for the series decider.

Wimbledon has taken centre stage for the next fortnight, but it’s the year’s final tennis major that resonates with the NSW Blues as they prepare for next week’s daunting State of Origin decider at Accor Stadium in Sydney.

While all major sporting events can bring out anxiety, the US Open encourages its players to embrace it, with athletes walking past a sign that reads “pressure is a privilege” as they enter Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The quote is attributed to tennis legend Billie Jean King and is relevant to anything worth doing in life, with next week’s decider particularly pertinent to the Blues who have the weight of a state on their shoulders hoping they retain the shield.

The shock loss in Perth means everything goes on the line now, with returning coach Laurie Daley revealing the range of emotions he’s experiencing a week out from the biggest game of his career.

Billie Jean King reveals origin of iconic quote: 'Pressure is a privilege'

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) July 22, 2024

“I think it’s a bit of everything. I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t nervous, but it’s more excitement than nerves. Probably anxious is the right word,” he said.

“You’re just hoping that you’ve nailed your prep for the week which we’re about to do, and that’s all we can do is nail what we can control, which is the preparation. If we do that then we’ll give ourselves every chance to win a game of footy.

“I think everyone is excited and has a little bit of anxiety. You had it as a player and you have it as a coach, and you get a bit nervous.

“I think anyone who tells you they don’t is probably lying.

“That’s what we love about sport and that’s what we love about this game is that you’ve got to have all those emotions because it means you’re focused and it means something to you.”

The Blues got the job done in enemy territory in last year’s decider and are heavy favourites to do it again next Wednesday in front of their home fans.

But form goes out the window in these winner-takes-all scenarios, with Daley winning his first two deciders as a player but losing all three as NSW coach against the greatest Maroons side ever assembled.

Daley has learnt plenty since his first stint as Blues coach and acknowledges the importance of getting the next week right to ensure his players are in the proper mindset to win the game.

Laurie Daley was shattered after losing the 2017 decider. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

“I put myself in the players’ shoes,” he explained.

“If I walk into day one of an Origin camp, I want to be excited, but I also don’t want to be hit with that intensity of ‘this is what we’re about to go in’. I think it’s about building the week, rather than going too hard too early.

“Because it’s a big build-up, you’ve got to be careful that you don’t play the game before you get there. You don’t want to be sky high today or tomorrow – you want to gradually increase the build-up and increase the intensity of everything you do.

“The first couple of days for us is about trying to stay calm, have a bit of fun and to get that camaraderie going again, and then we start to build into the week.”

Daley has stuck solid with the team that went down in Perth, with contingencies in place if Brian To’o can’t overcome a knee injury.

Loyalty has often been questioned when the Blues pick their squads, but Daley says he’s confident this group has what it takes to avenge what happened in Perth.

Daley has backed the 17 players that lost in Perth to bounce back in the decider. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

“We were right off the pace in the first half of game two, but I think we showed what we’re more than capable of doing in the second half,” he said.

“This group of players know it was a good opportunity, but we’ll take a lot of learnings from that game.

“They would’ve been disappointed with that result, so we’ve given them another opportunity to do a better job.

“You’ve got to look at how you can improve your side and where you can get those improvements, or do you think those improvements are going to come through that continuity of having the same group?

“That’s the path we’ve gone down with the fact this group has played nowhere near what their capabilities are, so we think we’ve got more improvement in them.

“If I didn’t think that then I definitely would have made changes.”

Originally published as ‘Anxious is the right word’: Laurie Daley closes in on significant coaching milestone