We Will Never Forget Laurie Daley: Few television programs in history were as poignant or as poetic as the classic coming-of-age drama The Wonder Years. Long after the show ended – and it has almost never been repeated because of the prohibitively high licensing costs of its iconic soundtrack – I still recall the final line soliloquy:
[Text Wrapping Break]“Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers, the next day you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house, like a lot of houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. On a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back… with wonder.”
When New South Wales lose another unlosable series at Suncorp Wednesday week and the years tick by we will look back … with wonder. We will wonder how did Laurie Daley ever get the New South Wales job. We will wonder how did he ever get the job back. We will wonder about the lunacy of the NSWRL and perhaps the most iconically bad selection calls ever put together in a series.
Daley, in complete and utter seriousness, should have been sacked immediately after the last game in a move that was without precedent but was completely logical to anyone who knows Rugby League and cares about New South Wales. At an absolute minimum he should have been allowed to keep his dignity by maintaining the role publicly but have lost all selection powers, an old-fashioned selection panel formed.
None of that happened. Daley’s biggest sycophant and the only person in the state who believes he is capable of coaching at this level just happens to rule the NSWRL. Now NSW are off to the slaughter with one of the most illogical, confused, utterly mad teamlists the state has ever put forward – and this is a state who picked Jamie Buhrer to play.
The team for game three is a Jackson Pollock, the canvas littered with the madness engulfing the artist’s brain. He has somehow managed to mix incumbency loyalty with sweeping change and got it all completely wrong.
Despite a complete inability of the spine to play outside of structure, Daley stuck with the same spine. Mitchell Moses, who was utterly woeful against South Sydney on Thursday night and hardly has a try assist all season and a game two that included seven missed tackles to go with one tackle break, retained his spot over Ethan Strange, who was desperately unlucky not to win man of the match in the opener. Reece Robson has zero tries, zero assists, zero tackle breaks, 40 run metres and one kick for five metres has somehow kept his position despite being a total non-entity in attack.
The best NSW have played – at least against 13 men – was when Isaah Yeo was moved out of his disruptive lock role where he continually stifles the attack by trying to ball play and replaced by Cameron Murray. It was an absolute no-brainer given the minutes Yeo has played at prop to move him to a cart-up role and play the far better football-sensed Murray at lock. No.
Haumole Olakau’atu has been the best edge all year. He tore apart Melbourne with two tries, seven tackle breaks and 158m. No player is averaging more post-contact metres this season. He ranks third in average tackle breaks, 0.9 per game more than second place. He gets recalled to the bench while Hudson Young keeps his spot.
Mitch Barnett barely played prior to Origin I and did nothing to earn a spot – and has done less to retain it – but continues to start.
All that pales into insignificance to the complete and utter quagmire that is the three-quarter line. Mark Nawaqanitawase retaining his spot should tell everyone all they need to know about how Daley views league – through the simplicity of a highlights reel. He scored two tries. Looked great with the ball. He was also the prime cause for eight of the 10 line breaks that came down his channel because of his jittery, unprepared defence. Jack Bostock is the Victor Radley of the backline – nobody was calling for him, nobody thinks he is ready for Origin and everybody knows there are far better options available. Picking Bostock over Tom Trbojevic should become the new definition of madness. Dropping Tolutau Koula for Bradman Best, who is two games back from injury, truly defies belief. It is great to see Stephen Crichton recover from the “injury” that kept him out of game two and cost him zero games with the Bulldogs.
The blind loyalty. The nonsensical changes. The failure to understand either his own personnel or his own (see Penrith’s) strategy. The peculiar sets against certain players. The persisting with players coming back off injury. The chopping. The changing. The randomness. The complete lack of knowledge as to how the game is played in 2026. This is a complete masterpiece in stupidity.
Origin happens in a heartbeat. One day you’ve got the best crop of talent to choose from, the next day you’ve lost another unlosable series to a team that includes Jojo Fifita. The memories of bad selections and worse coaching stay with you for the long haul though. I remember the lack of preparation, the infantile copycat attacking plan, the interchange rotations like no other interchange rotations. Selections like no other selections. From a coach not like any other coach. And the thing is, after all these hours, I still look back … with wonder.
The Fans Lose With PVL Masterpiece: The next television deal for Rugby League will be announced soon and it will confirm the NRL as the top sports league in Australia with the richest deal in Australian sporting history. It has been a remarkable rise for the game on his watch and the financial rewards are deserved, Rugby League finally claiming the cash that comes with being the top code in Australia. Unfortunately in the pursuit of every last dollar, it is the fan of the game that loses. While Fox maintaining the rights to every game is a real win, Nine maintaining the free-to-air right is a slap in the face to fans of the game. Nine’s presentation is an abject embarrassment, stuck in some fictional bygone era of “Aussie blokeiness” where preparation, professionalism and analysis are seen as weaknesses only exhibited in some woke world. Watching the three Origins and the Grand Final on Nine are jarring. While it would have been ideal for Nine to lose out to Seven, allowing Fox to simulcast the Grand Final and Origins would have been some solace. Unfortunately that will not happen and we get another seven years of the inane Nine coverage for the biggest games.
Enough With The Dane Gagai Froth: The constant fluffing of Dane Gagai that is bordering on stalker-like obsession with the Fox NRL crew led by top fanboy Michael Ennis is so utterly ridiculous it diminishes the entire coverage. Gagai has been an average to below average centre this year – and he has been for a number of years. He has two tries this year. He has thrown the last pass – usually to Dom Young – for a further seven. His 23 errors has him eighth in the NRL. His tackling is so poor that he ranks in the top 10 for missed tackles. He could not be going any worse and the fact the Broncos signed him for next season says more about their cap position than it does about his form – and commentators who get down on their knees to genuflect at his alter undermine any credibility they have and prove nothing more than they do no preparation.
Chris Butler Should Be Called The Bat: The justification Chris Butler used to call back a Herbie Farnworth try was so appalling that he should be stood down immediately until medical tests prove he is, in fact, as blind as a bat. Connelly Lemuelu clearly directed a pass backwards yet Butler, seeing what nobody else saw, determined it to be a knock on. There was a clear pass. It was a clear try. Butler’s continued use as the top shows the complete and utter disdain the NRL has for not only fans of the game but competency in their officiating.
Total Gee Up: Adam Gee was once the best referee in the game. He is now one of the worst Bunker officials, another who has absolutely no idea. Awarding Xavier Savage a try when the ball was clearly knocked forward from Simi Sasagi was criminal. Gee and Graham Anneseley should personally pay out every single bet on the Dragons after that gross act of complete incompetency. The NRL rolling out laughable puff pieces like this (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/so-the-nrl-bunker-stuffed-up-again-this-is-its-success-rate-for-the-year-20260623-p6097s.html) when total garbage that even a corrupt Carribean FIFA official would not abide by. The Bunker exists to eliminate howlers. With the current personnel it creates howlers. Not a single current official should be in the Bunker.
The Roosters Can Get In The Sea: Not taking the two when up only six with 70 seconds left in the game would have to be one of the dumbest plays of the season and one of the cruellest ways to lose a -6.5 bet. The geniuses at the Roosters need a maths lesson.
The Willie M Team of the Week: This week’s team of the desperate and the desolate:
1.Clint Gutherson (Dra)[Text Wrapping Break]2.Savelio Tamale (Can)[Text Wrapping Break]3.AJ Brimson (GC)[Text Wrapping Break]4.Adam Pompey (NZ)[Text Wrapping Break]5.Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown (Mel)[Text Wrapping Break]6.Blaize Talagi (Pen)[Text Wrapping Break]7.Mitchell Moses (Par)[Text Wrapping Break]8.Stefano Utoikamanu (Mel)[Text Wrapping Break]9.Harrison Edwards (Par)[Text Wrapping Break]10.Liam Henry (Pen)[Text Wrapping Break]11.Kelma Tuilagi (Par)[Text Wrapping Break]12.Brendan Piakura (Bri)[Text Wrapping Break]13.Alex Seyfarth (Tig)[Text Wrapping Break]————————————————-[Text Wrapping Break]14.Jack Gosiewski (Bri)[Text Wrapping Break]15.Tallyn Da Silva (Par)[Text Wrapping Break]16.Trent Toelau (Mel)[Text Wrapping Break]17.Luciano Leilua (Dra)[Text Wrapping Break]————————————————–
Coach: Jason Ryles (Par)
Referee Gradings: This week’s gradings:
Gerard Sutton (C-)
Todd Smith (B-)
Grant Atkins (C-)
Adam Gee (D)
Wyatt Raymond (C-)
Ashley Klein (C+)
Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski (F)
Peter Gough (D+)
2022 Field Goal Update – 17: It didn’t land but Nathan Cleary’s attempt at a 55 metre field goal that went just under the crossbar and the call of Dan Ginnane that threw back to Craig Polla-Mounter was one of the highlights of the weekend.
Fun Fact #1: NSW are 5-8-1 since 2000 in series they have had a coach with at least three years premiership coaching experience – and 3-9 when hiring a “former legend” with little-to-no club coaching experience.
Fun Fact #2: Premiership-winning coaches are 9-13-1 in series in charge of NSW while those hired who have not won a premiership prior are 6-14-1.
Fun Fact #3: Three NSW coaches have a winning record since 1987 – Phil Gould, Wayne Pearce and Michael Maguire.
Rumour Mill: There is strong speculation that Ryan Papenhuyzen is considering a return to the NRL with Canterbury next season, quickly realising that earning a real wage doing normal work is not all he imagined it to be. Gehamat Shibasaki is set to join the Perth Bears in 2026.
The Coaching Crosshairs: Less than nine months on from guiding Brisbane to their first premiership in two seasons, the pressure on Michael Maguire with Triple M going as far as stating that there will be a walkout of senior players at the club if Maguire is extended. Triple M have a clear grudge against Maguire led by Gorden Tallis but there is no doubt that the playing group has had enough of Maguire, led by the quick decision of Payne Haas to walk out on the club and Jesse Arthars to reject a contract with no other deal at another club in place. Maguire clearly knows how to win a premiership – and he does so by flogging his players and not caring if he puts them offside. The quicker Maguire follows the Bela Guttmann principle that a coach is cast in his third season, the better off he will be. The Sharks and the Roosters should both be looking to sign up to a two-year deal to get them over the hump.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Dean Young is doing the right thing by giving his young pack big minutes but he needs to be far better at getting his best side onto the field at the end of games. Ryan Couchman was again outstanding playing the Raiders, leading the way with 44 tackles, yet was not on the field for the final 21 minutes while Luciano Leilua was left on. Young had an interchange that went unused and the game was one of the few winnable affairs on the schedule. Not playing Couchman was not the decisive factor – but it did not help.
Watch It: Canterbury’s Grand Final run in 1998 will long live in the memories of those who witnessed it, a remarkable run full of drama and palpitating hearts. It would not have started though were it not for a dramatic late-season final minute win over the Illawarra Steelers when Craig Polla-Mounter slotted a field goal to win 25-24. Watch it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JneveKBJrcA