A dramatic turn of events in one of Sunday’s NRL clashes may have given Brad Fittler all the convincing he needed to take one of the biggest gambles of his NSW Blues coaching career.
Meanwhile, Maroons’ coach Billy Slater is set to be offered a new contract — but is playing it cool — and debate has begun about how the NSW Blues can best use Dally M winner Nicho Hynes.
Read on for the latest Maroons and Blues news in Origin Daily
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Maroons pick Walsh over Ponga | 02:09
MOMENT THAT CONVINCED FREDDY TO PUNT ON TPJ
Is this the moment that convinced Blues coach Brad Fittler to roll the dice on squad bolter Tevita Pangai Jr for this year’s series opener?
Daily Telegraph reporter Brent Read believes Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s brutal forearm on Reed Mahoney in Gold Coast’s loss to the Bulldogs on Sunday — and Pangai Jr response — made a strong impression on the NSW coach.
Fa’asuamaleaui has emerged as one of the Maroons leading enforcers, infamously taking aim at Blues playmaker Matt Burton in last year’s series, and Pangai Jr could provide the intensity NSW needs in response.
“I wonder if Brad Fittler watched this yesterday and saw what Tino did and how Tevita went at him after this (for the rest of the game),” Read said on NRL 360 on Monday night.
“(He) thought about last year when Tino went at Matt Burton in that game last year, in Game 3 when they were bullied by QLD, and that influenced his thinking around Tevita Pangai.
“I know what happened last year in Game 3, the way Tino and some of the other Queenslanders bullied NSW. I know that’s resonated since then with NSW staff.”
FOX LEAGUE PODCAST – NICHO HYNES
The Sharks superstar joins Darcie McDonald to chat Indigenous Round, his rapid rise from working as a teacher’s aide in Mackay to winning the Dally M. He also reveals the sliding doors moment of his career. Listen now >>>
Pangai Junior now matured for Origin? | 02:24
Fittler has admitted the selection of Pangai Jr comes with a risk but believes the 27-year-old has learned to better control his emotions and not take things too far on the field.
“I suppose this is one of those games where I’m putting all my chips inm” Fittler said of the selection in an exclusive interview on NRL 360.
“I’ve always thought he’s got great potential and the one thing I’m noticing at the Bulldogs is I don’t see that same person that’s losing control as much as they used to.
“The one thing with the Dogs at the moment is, they don’t give up. There’s times they’ve been two or three tries down but they don’t give up, they keep coming back.
“That’s got a bit to do with him, Burton, Foxx (Josh Addo-Carr), those leaders around the club so I’m going to back him in.”
BILLY WON’T BE ‘TIED DOWN’ AMID REPORT OF NEW CONTRACT OFFER
New Queensland Rugby League (QRL) chief executive Ben Ikin is just days into his new job but he’s reportedly made extending Billy Slater’s coaching contract one of his top priorities.
Courier Mail reporter Peter Badel revealed on NRL 360 the QRL is ready to table a new offer to Maroons coach Slater, who is off-contract at the end of the series.
“He (Ikin) wants Billy to coach on. The Melbourne Storm have been mentioned as a possible target for Billy long-term to replace Craig Bellamy but the Maroons, they want Billy to stay here,” Badel said.
“Billy says ‘if I’m not the right man for the job I’ll leave’ but Ben Ikin believes Billy Slater is the right man for the job in the long haul.”
Told of the imminent contract offer, Slater was evasive about his future in an interview with the NRL 360 panel.
“That’s not a real priority for me to be fair,” Slater said. “I’m not really worried about a contract.
“I’m here because I feel like I can make a difference and as soon as I feel, and other people in the right positions feel , that I’m not the right person for the job I’m happy to walk away/
“A contract is not in my priorities, I’m here as a head coach of the Queensand team this year and that’s all I’m focusing on what happens after that will happen.
“I’m here because I want to be here and it’s important to me and I feel I can make a difference to this team, we’ve got some great people in this staff … it’s a great environment but being locked down and tied up, I’m not really concerned about that.”
MORE ORIGIN NEWS
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WINNERS & LOSERS: Biggest casualty of Turbo call; shock bolters in Freddy shake-up
WINNERS & LOSERS: Wayne’s last laugh; Slater’s call reveals harsh Origin reality
Billy joins 360 for selection chat! | 06:17
FREDDY’S BIG ‘PRESSURE’ ADMISSION
Meanwhile, Fittler told the NRL 360 panel the Blues’ loss in Game 1 of last year’s series — not the decider — was one of the toughest losses to take in his coaching career.
The Maroons stunned NSW in Sydney with a 16-10 win in the series opener before sealing the series on home soil with a thrilling 22-12 victory in Game 3.
“I can think about Game 3 but I think it was the first game where we were poor,” Fittler said.
“Whatever you want to call it, they beat us in all those effort areas and of all the games I’ve coached it was emotionally the most disappointed I’ve been.
“We hadn’t played in front of our crowd for a couple of years, so that one really hurt.”
Fittler also admitted his team failed to handle the occasion of the blockbuster series finale after a dominant Game 2 victory in Perth to square the series.
“The last game, they were just the better team,” Fittler said.
“We didn’t handle the pressure very well. We had quite an inexperienced team but at the end of the day there was an opportunity there but we didn’t handle it.
“There were lessons there for individuals and there were lessons for coaching staff but the one that really hurt was Game 1.”
Freddy reflects what went wrong Game 3 | 03:46
MATTY ‘GOBSMACKED’ BY MAROONS SNUB
Queensland’s shock call to omit several stars from the triumphant 2022 squad has caused a stir, with one omission in particular shocking many.
Matty Johns said he was stunned to see the Maroons to axe Dane Gagai — a player who had played 22 consecuitive Origin matches and rarely let his state down.
“He’s an easy bloke to admire isn’t he. I was absolutely gobsmacked – it really surprised me, it really did,” Johns said on NRL 360.
QLD legend Cooper Cronk said it was proof that no player was guaranteed a jersey.
“Tough decision. Really really tough,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a veteran. When you want to be named in that Queensland team you’ve got to make it undeniable that the coach picks you through your performances and I think the defensive performance from Gagai on the weekend let himself down.”
“They’ve thrown loyalty out the window!” | 00:51
Gagai’s Newcastle Knights teammate, NSW backrower Tyson Frizell, was another taken back by the calls to omit Gagai and superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga.
“I’m a bit shocked. I guess I’m not too worried who they pick but as a friend yeah I am a bit shocked they didn’t select both him and Gags (Gagai),” Frizell said to foxsports.com.au.
“They’ve been pretty dangerous for us to handle in the Origin arena so they’ve gone a different direction and we will just have to deal with it.
“It’s tough for them not being in the squad, but as a mate off the field, you want them to be putting on that jersey for their own sake.”
MYSTERY OVER HYNES ROLE
Reigning Dally M winner Nicho Hynes will make his debut from the bench and speculation has begun about how the Blues will make the best use of the in-form Cronulla Sharks superstar.
Hynes provides obvious cover across a number of positions in the backline should NSW suffer an injury but it will be fascinating to see how, and where, Fittler injects the playmaker into the Game.
While Fittler has suggested Hynes could spend time at hooker, Matty Johns believes Jarome Luai could briefly cover for Api Koroisau, freeing up Hynes in attack.
“I don’t think you put him on at 9, he’s not the right body type,” Johns said.
Turbo responds to Origin doubters | 05:14
“I think you put him on at left playmaker and you stick Jarome Luai in there for a stint in the middle. He’d handle that, he’s like a jack-in-the-box, he’d handle the defensive responsibilities for a short period.”
Cronk, though, believes Hynes might be best used in the forwards as a lock.
“I think a little bit differently, I’d play him at 13,” Cronk said.
“I’d play with two fullbacks and two halves either side of the ruck and just go through the middle and pick it apart that way because Nicho Hynes can play first receiver and team up with another half, and that way they can play both sides of the ruck.”