The Madness of Laurie Daley: It is quite incredible that in a race for the worst NSW coaches in a field that includes Brad Fittler, Laurie Daley is the runaway winner for the most inept. In his first five series he at least had the restraint – or more accurately a different rort – with Bob Fulton advising. Now the NSW coach just has free rein and that has led to the utterly preposterous decision to drop Haumole Olakau’atu. There were many reasons the Blues should have lost the opener: poor preparation, an awful game plan, terrible selection decisions, horrid execution, props who couldn’t go forward, panicky outside backs … the list goes on. Well and truly down that list was Haumole Olakau’atu, the best edge backrower in 2026, who averaged 9.7 metres per run (best of all NSW forwards), led all forwards in post-contact metres and was the only starting forward with more than one tackle break. Daley’s record as Origin coach is abhorrent. If the Blues win this series it will be in spite of Daley, not because of him. This decision to dump Olakau’atu stands as maybe his dumbest in a long list of dumb decisions.
Madge Needs To Hit The Circuit: Brisbane’s complete and utter failure to throw up even a mediocre defence of their title should tell Rugby League two things about coach Michael Maguire: Maguire knows how to get a team over the hill to win a premiership and he wears very thin very quickly as a coach. He will never last 10 years at a club. If both he and clubs are smart, he won’t stay five. What Maguire needs to do is look for clubs close to the top of the ladder but in need of a change. Clubs need to be aware and flexible enough to realise that while a coach has done a good job at turning the club into a Top 8 contender, he may not necessarily be the coach to win them a premiership. He has done a job at Brisbane but the players are clearly fed up with his intense style. Cronulla is the most obvious fit for Maguire while the Roosters and perhaps even Canterbury would be fits.
Long Live The Chargedown: The chargedown is often the area of the moron but when it comes to doing it well there is little more thrilling. And nobody has ever done it as well as Will Kennedy, who actually caught the ball in a game-saving chargedown.
The Willie M Team of the Week: This week’s team of clowns and crocks:
- Hayze Perham (Bri)
- Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (NZ)
- Anotonio Verhoeven (Bri)
- Ali Leitauta (NZ)
- Jed Stuart (Can)
- Tom Duffy (Bri)
- Daly Cherry-Evans (Roo)
- Spencer Leniu (Roo)
- Tom Starling (Can)
- Klese Haas (GC)
- Brendan Piakura (Bri)
- Angus Crichton (Roo)
- Cooper Bai (Tig)
- Ben Hunt (Bri)
- Latu Fainu (Tig)
- Ezra Mam (Bri)
- Vena Patuki-Case (Can)
Coach: Michael Maguire (Bri)
Referee Gradings: This week’s gradings:
Grant Atkins (C+)
Todd Smith (C)
Gerard Sutton (C-)
Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski (D-)
Wyatt Raymond (C-)
The 2026 Field Goal Update – 14: Super Saturday was super for field goal fetishists with Braydon Trindall kicking a two-point field goal for the ages that won the Sharks the clash against the Warriors while Ronald Volkman booted a line drive on the stroke of halftime with put the Eels up 9-0 and led to the fabulous 15-12 final score, the first time since 2019 we have seen that score, a match funnily enough also officiated by Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski.
Fun Fact #1: Three sets of teammates are tied for the most Origins played against each other with 14 matches squaring off: Laurie Daley and Mal Meninga, James Tamou and Johnathan Thurston and Jake Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans.
Fun Fact #2: Teammates that have squared off the most playing in this series are James Tedesco and Lindsay Collins, who are about to play their 13th Origin against each other.
Fun Fact #3: In the opening Origin there were five NSW players from Parramatta and St George who squared off against Queensland opponents Arthur Beetson and Rodd Reddy – Mick Cronin and Steve Edge from the Eels and Robert Stone, Craig Young and Graeme Wynn for the Dragons.
Rumour Mill: The Sydney Roosters are almost certain to land glamour Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth. Phil Gould’s complete mismanagement of the Bulldogs salary cap has the Bulldogs incredibly vulnerable to losing star edge Jacob Preston. Expect Titans hooker Sam Verrills to find himself at the Perth Bears next season. Michael Maguire has tried to sign Luciano Leilua to join the club immediately.
The Coaching Crosshairs: The safest coach in the NRL is not Craig Bellamy. It is not Wayne Bennett. It is not Trent Robinson. It is Ricky Stuart. Stuart has coached the Raiders since 2014 and will coach them until he either dies or retires from coaching. No club has built their entire identity around a coach more. Stuart is best mates with the CEO. The CEO is part of the dynasty that has run the Raiders from almost the get-go and has had a firm grip on power most of this century. Stuart guided the team to their only minor premiership and only Grand Final since Stuart’s playing days. He is going nowhere. If he was at any other club though his position would be under question while the nepotism charges laid at Shane Flanagan would be well and truly aimed at Stuart for playing son Jed, who has no business anywhere near a top grade team. Stuart has done a solid job at the Raiders and certainly doesn’t deserve to lose his job but his unchecked power certainly needs some checking.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Michael Maguire may have a bee in his bonnet with Ezra Mam but castrating the Broncos season to prove some kind of esoteric point about effort and team-first mentality by starting him on the bench and then forcing him to play when he could not pass was laughable. The Broncos have a big injury toll and more players out on Origin duty yet Mam sat on the bench while the game against Souths was lost. He was then forced to play through an arm injury for what seemed like 10 minutes where he could not throw a pass with the game well and truly gone.
Watch It: Wednesday will mark the seventh State of Origin match at the MCG with the fabled home of cricket and Victorian football in this country playing host to the Greatest Game of All. Perhaps the most memorable moment at the ground was the famous brawl in 1995, preordained by both teams. Jerseys were off. John Hopoate throwing them. The Chief and Gavin Allen. David Barnhill and Billy Moore. Watch it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSEzsMzhDd0