‘Where are they now?’: Emotional Daley’s nuclear response to critics
It’s been 12 years since Laurie Daley felt the emotions of an Origin series victory.
After NSW secured a commanding 30-12 victory in enemy territory to reclaim the State of Origin shield, Daley’s thousand yard stare cracked.
Daley emotionally celebrates with the crowd. Nine
The coach burst into tears, embracing anyone within arm’s reach as the immense weight of his 2026 campaign finally lifted.
In his chat with Nine’s panel immediately post-game and then in the press conference, Daley returned serve at his critics, fuming at the personal attacks he’d endured throughout the series.
“I don’t mind any criticism about team selections or criticism about any changes that you make - that’s all part of the game. But, there’s times there when you think some things are quite personal,” Daley explained to Nine’s panel.
“I just don’t think there’s a need to do that. And I think that says a lot about the people that report that way.”
By the time he hit the presser, the relief had given way to an angry rant. Daley doubled down, slamming reporters who he believes operate with “hidden agendas.”
“No one likes criticism, I get that. You know it will come so you accept it and cop it. There are some parts of criticism that go way above that I get disappointed with,” he argued.
“People who report like that need to have a hard look at themselves. This week, I just wanted us to prove to ourselves that we are a good footy side.”
“I am a leader. There is a difference between a leader and coaching. Go and ask Billy why he has assistant coaches? Why does he have an attacking coach? Why do you have a defensive coach? Why, tell me?” he asked a reporter.
“Do you know what the coach does? He drives it. It just frustrates me a lot. The coach sets the tone, talks to his coaching staff about how they implement plans.
“Some of this stuff that has been written and said, gee. C’mon. Hopefully those blokes have a decent look at themselves.”
Daley took particular issue with sections of the media who use their platform to lob grenades but don’t do any field reporting.
Daley speaks about the mounting criticism on him. Nine
Those people aren’t at training sessions or at press conferences. Daley considers them faceless trolls.
“In particular, when people have a crack and they won’t come to a training session or a press conference. Show some balls. Where are they now?” Daley again asked.
“I think there were some hidden agendas and things that were planted in the media. I’d love to know where that come from.
“When you’ve put a lot into a game and a lot into trying to be the person you are and then people attack you from an angle that makes you go wow - that is my rant. I just hope it doesn’t happen to you one day.
“You have to be held accountable to some of your stories too. I’ll read those stories and if things aren’t true, I will call them out.”
Daley also took aim at the perennial Queensland narrative that the Blues lack passion for the jersey.
“It annoys me when I hear people talk about ‘NSW don’t get it’ or ‘they have no passion for the jersey’. That is two of the last three years now that we have won State of Origin with this group,” Daley said.
Nathan Cleary and Laurie Daley embrace after NSW’s win. Nine
“I don’t know why we attack people the way we do. I’m just so happy for the group, I’m very pleased and excited. It was good to be part of.
“To come up here and do what we did, I don’t think there would be too many in the room that would’ve thought we could do what we did. It is pretty special.”
Wally Lewis Medal winner Nathan Cleary also didn’t hold back when addressing the intense scrutiny his coach had faced.
“A lot of people wrote him off and negative things were said about him, but he’s an absolute champion in NSW and we never write off champions,” Cleary said.
“I love the guy and I’m so pumped for him.”
NSW captain Isaah Yeo backed up his teammate’s comments saying, “I am just so happy for Loz.”
“We as a group didn’t read into anything that was so but there was so much being said about him. The onus was on us. He was giving us everything we needed, we just had to go and piece together an 80-minute performance.
“We had little glimpses of it … we just hadn’t pieced together 80 minutes. That is why I am so happy for Loz, because everything he instilled in us, all the belief and trust, we managed to do it on the biggest stage up here in Suncorp.”
While clearly angry with the overall coverage of his coaching and NSW in general throughout the series, Daley softened when he was asked what brought him back to the Origin arena when he thought his coaching days were behind him.
“Love of the state. I love NSW. I’ll do anything for this team,” he said to the Nine broadcast panel. “I thought my time in the Origin space was over. But when Freddie (Brad Fittler) asked me to come back and be involved, that lit the fire inside me again.
“It’s a very special thing to do, to represent your state playing, but then to coach your state, there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that.”
While the shield is heading back south, rumours continue to swirl that Daley may step down and hand over the baton now that the 2026 series is wrapped. When pressed on his future, Daley gave a hint but was coy on speculation that he was ready to resign.
“That’s for another day. I’ve made up my mind. I know what I’m doing.”
