NSW Stars Rally Around Under-Fire Coach Laurie Daley

The State of Origin series is heating up, with NSW and Queensland locked at one-all heading into the final game in Brisbane. But while the pressure is mounting on Laurie Daley, the Blues' under-fire coach, his players are rallying around him.

Laurie Daley's Coaching Record

Laurie Daley, the NSW coach, has a coaching record that suggests he's not the right man for the job. Across two Origin stints, he's managed to win just one series out of six attempts. And in his 13 games in charge, he's lost 12, more than his Queensland counterpart, Wayne Bennett.

But despite the mounting criticism, Daley's charges are refusing to give up on him. Prop Payne Haas says the team feels a sense of responsibility to prove their coach wrong. "Yeah, for sure, because it's on us," he said. "We're the ones who went out there and didn't perform at a standard that NSW requires. We didn't do that, so it's a bit unfair on Loz …"

Player Support for Daley

Mitchell Moses, the Blues' five-eighth, is another key player who's refusing to turn his back on Daley. "He's got our full support, he's got the playing group's support, he's got everyone's support," he said. "We're right behind Loz and all the decisions he's made. We'll just go out there and try and perform and clinch the series."

Robson's Defence of Daley

Halfback Robson is another player who's come out in support of Daley. "I've been asked a few times about Loz and for me, it's just his care factor and what he brings as a coach," he said. "His approach is just to give you full belief in yourself and as a player to go out and get your job done. The experience that I've had with Loz has been unreal."

Daley's Future Uncertain

Despite the player support, Laurie Daley's future remains uncertain. He's contracted until the end of the series, but there's been no official word on whether he'll be staying on beyond that.

"He's super resilient," said Nathan Cleary, the Blues' halfback. "Even just coming into camp, he's there with a smile, he's energetic and upbeat. That goes to show you the mentality we want and not run into all that outside noise."

The Series

The final game of the series is set to take place on July 8 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. If the Blues win, they'll secure a rare series win, but if they lose, the series will be level, setting up a thrilling conclusion on game three.