{"id":88194,"date":"2026-07-13T13:54:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T03:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/?p=88194"},"modified":"2026-07-13T13:54:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T03:54:42","slug":"from-the-couch-nrl-round-19-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/2026\/07\/from-the-couch-nrl-round-19-3\/","title":{"rendered":"From The Couch: NRL Round 19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There Will Be No Apology to Laurie:\u00a0<\/strong>NSW coach Laurie Daley, who spent the entire series looking gaunt and concerned, decided that after an incredibly lucky series win gifted to the Blues by officials both on the field and off the field that it was time to puff out the chest and demand his critics \u201cshow some balls\u201d.\u00a0With the shield safely in the possession of NSW, Daley started peacocking at the press conference, a premeditated retaliation to those who dared\u00a0criticise\u00a0his coaching. Fun Fact: Daley won the series. Another Fun Fact: he still\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0coach. And he most likely knows\u00a0that,\u00a0the reason he is set to step down after the series\u00a0win. There is no doubt that NSW were the better team in the decider and deserved the win. Queensland\u00a0were\u00a0disrespectful of the ball and\u00a0lacking in\u00a0energy. NSW rode the energy brought by Liam Martin. Some of Daley\u2019s selections were widely\u00a0criticised\u00a0in\u00a0these pages and elsewhere.\u00a0Some he got right – Mitchell Moses\u2019 kicking game was absolutely outstanding in the decider and key to the win.\u00a0Many he got wrong – the treatment of Haumole\u00a0Olakau\u2019atu\u00a0throughout the series was laughable. His rotations were utterly horrific in every\u00a0game\u00a0including the decider. His failure to acknowledge the luck the Blues received and show a little humility\u00a0because of\u00a0it was a poor reflection on Daley. There would not have been a decider if not for the questionable send off in the series opener. The officiating both on and off the field in the decider was nothing short of extraordinarily bad,\u00a0favouring\u00a0NSW in\u00a0nearly every\u00a0call. The Bostock knock on\u00a0is but\u00a0the latest incident that should see Chris Butler fired. His continual stuff ups are\u00a0maybe the\u00a0biggest blight on the game and have now\u00a0impacted\u00a0an Origin decider. Ashley Klein was no better. Harry Grant continually caught NSW markers not square and was barely rewarded. The call to\u00a0penalise\u00a0Queensland just before halftime after James Tedesco was knocked out and then Briton Nikora raised his arms in a bumper motion was plainly wrong. A lot of that is refereeing and Queensland have certainly had their rub of the green over the years but it really was a terribly officiated game that clearly went one way and Daley\u2019s failure to acknowledge this while peacocking around like the reincarnation of Jack Gibson crossed with Liberace. NSW\u00a0deserve\u00a0their credit. Nathan Cleary\u00a0put to bed\u00a0any\u00a0question\u00a0about his form at rep level. Payne Haas was extraordinary. Liam Martin is the personification of\u00a0The Origin Player<\/em>, the type Queensland have thrived with for\u00a0nearly 50\u00a0years\u00a0and the Blues have continually searched for. Daley is stepping aside\u00a0though\u00a0and it is for the best because he is not the best man to coach NSW, he only got the job because of his relationship with the CEO and is extraordinarily lucky to be able to walk away a winner.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank You, Channel Nine: <\/strong>In the week we unfortunately received the news that Nine would hold exclusive rights to the Grand Final and State of Origin for the next seven years, ensuring coverage on free-to-air remains as amateur and unprofessional as ever, we did get some positivity from the station when Paul Gallen was cut from coverage for the decider in what was a real treat for viewers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benji Bang On In Punting Luai: <\/strong>The jury very much remains out as to whether Benji Marshall is cut out to be a first grade coach or not but he certainly deserves credit in one area: protecting what the Tigers are building. The Tigers have long just floated along in a pink swan, seemingly unaware and unfazed by what it took to be a competitive organisation. Benji, at the very least, is trying to change that by bringing a hard-edge to the club that it desperately needs. Jarome Luai was part of that plan. He was expected to drive standards. He supposedly did do that. He clearly is not anymore. His defence has been nothing short of shameful for a player on such a large contract. In his last nine games, Luai has missed at least four tackles in eight of them. His tackle efficiency currently ranks No.337 in the NRL. Culture is built on defence. It is built on effort. Luai is providing none of that and that has amped up since he made the decision to take the money from the PNG Chiefs. One can\u2019t be critical of that but Marshall has made the call to get rid of him for next year and he should make the call that he has played his last game in Tigers colours.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Willie M Team of the Week: <\/strong>This week\u2019s team of shockers and slopsters: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Jahream Bula (Tig)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Jamayne Isaako (Dol)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Herbie Farnworth (Dol)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Heamasi Makasini (Tig)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Jethro Rinakama (Bul)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Kodi Nikorima (Dol)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Jarome Luai (Tig)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Felise Kaufusi (Dol)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Phoenix Crossland (New)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Tino Fa\u2019asuamaleaui (GC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Arama Hau (GC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Jaman Salmon (Bul)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Morgan Knowles (Dol)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. Nathan Brown (Man)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. Dylan Walker (Par)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. Tom Gilbert (Dol)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. Teancum Brown (Par)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Coach:<\/strong> Kristian Woolf (Dol)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Referee Gradings: <\/strong>This week\u2019s official gradings \u2026 not including another F for Chris Butler in The Bunker: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wyatt Raymond (D+) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Todd Smith (C) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Gerard Sutton (C+) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Adam Gee (C+) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Grant Atkins (C-) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Peter Gough (D+) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jarrod Cole (D) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The 2026 Field Goal Update – 20: <\/strong>Scott Drinkwater\u2019s golden point match-winner was the 20th field goal of the NRL season.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fun Fact #1:<\/strong> Sir Donald Bradman played fullback for Bowral Primary School before giving away the sport.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fun Fact #2:<\/strong> Just two men have played premiership Rugby League and represented Australia in cricket: Herbie Collins and Ray Lindwall.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fun Fact #3: <\/strong>Verdun Scott is the only man to represent New Zealand in both Rugby League and cricket while Alan Wharton is the only player to represent England in cricket and play top level Rugby League, representing Salford.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Rumour Mill: <\/strong>Jarome Luai has been linked to a one-season move to Parramatta as the Eels continue to enhance their reputation as a transit lounge. Jamie Humphreys has reportedly backed out of a mooted move to the Perth Bears with Canterbury now in the mix to win his signature with backup Bulldogs No.7 Sean O\u2019Sullivan set to head to Super League.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Coaching Crosshairs: <\/strong>Laurie Daley is mercifully set to step down as NSW head coach, leaving a vacancy that is coveted but should really be limited to a very small field. If one lesson was learned from the success of Michael Maguire, it is that the Blues need a proper coach. While Queensland can succeed with relying on a state legend, NSW with a bigger talent pool and less of an obsession with winning needs a coach with plenty of experience – and success. The experience element should rule out some of the utterly ridiculous names being floated like Matt King and Boyd Cordner and the Johns brothers while success should put a double thick black line through the application of Trent Barrett. There should be only two names considered for the job: Ivan Cleary, who is stepping down from Penrith at the end of the 2027 season, and Michael Maguire, who is one-from-one with the Blues and is every chance to be out of the Broncos sooner rather than later. Cleary is the long-term solution and the NSWRL should be doing all they can to convince him to do double duty next year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: <\/strong>Billy Slater is as well prepared and on the ball as any coach in State of Origin history but his fascination with plodder Trent Loiero is well and truly off the mark. Slater made the inconceivable decision to put Loiero on before the much better Patrick Carrigan and when Sam Walker had to go off for a HIA and Reece Walsh was used, Carrigan was the odd man out who couldn\u2019t get on the field, a field he was desperately needed on. Queensland have thrived using unfashionable players but not using Carrigan in order to play Loiero was just madness.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Watch It: <\/strong>Perhaps the greatest and most unlikely try ever scored in a big game, the \u2018Wide To West\u2019 try needs to be watched at least once a month for every true Rugby League fan with the commentary as good as it gets. Watch it here: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PtcPcoQgAfU&t=79s<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    There Will Be No Apology to Laurie:\u00a0NSW coach Laurie Daley, who spent the entire series looking gaunt and concerned, decided that after an incredibly lucky series win gifted to the Blues by officials both on the field and off the field that it was time to puff out the chest and demand his critics \u201cshow some balls\u201d.\u00a0With the shield safely in the possession of NSW, Daley started peacocking at the press conference, a premeditated retaliation to those who dared\u00a0criticise\u00a0his coaching. Fun Fact: Daley won the series. Another Fun Fact: he still\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0coach. And he most likely knows\u00a0that,\u00a0the reason he is set…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":88195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-88194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rugby-league"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":"","md_tip_date_end":"","md_market_url":"","tip_date":"13\/07\/2026","event_country":"Australia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88194"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88196,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88194\/revisions\/88196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88194"},{"taxonomy":"hub_post_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub_post_cat?post=88194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}