The Blues' Origin celebrations ended in the most relatable way possible
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The Blues celebrated their State of Origin success long and hard into the night.
And it ended in a way many fans on either side of the border can probably relate – with a late-night Maccas feed.
Instagram stories from Mitchell Moses, Isaah Yeo and Bradman Best after the Blues’ State of Origin victory. Instagram/@mitchmoses, @isaah_yeo, @bradmanbest
The celebrations started virtually the moment the team got back into the sheds when eskies full of Tooheys – an official team sponsor – were delivered.
Nine’s Today reporter Andrea Crothers reported the side got back to the hotel about 1am, and celebrated until about 4am when a massive Maccas delivery was dropped off.
On Thursday morning, a crokey Mitchell Moses was one of a handful of bleary-eyed Blues stars to front up to cameras.
But he denied the bung voice was due to any kind of indulgence, rather just screaming in celebration immediately post-game.
“We had a lot said about us, and the only people who were going to change that was the internal group – the coaching staff and the 20 players that got picked,” he said.
“We went in, we dived into a little hole and dug ourselves out of it.”
Like several of his teammates, Moses was close to tears in the moments after the final whistle.
“You never know when it’s going to be the last time you wear this jersey, and to win a decider up here, it doesn’t get any better. It was a pretty surreal feeling,” he said.
“And to do it with this group of boys and with everything that’s gone on in the series, and obviously with (coach Laurie Daley) as well, just doing it for Loz.
“That was my biggest thing – Loz showed so much faith in me after not playing game one … I wanted to repay him with everything I had, and I think everyone else did that and had that mentality as well.”
Hudson Young put the cherry on top of his side’s win with a try right in front of the Blatchys Blues contingent behind the posts.
On Thursday, he looked exactly like a man who had just weathered 80 minutes of Origin footy, followed by a Tooheys or two.
“I got lucky there (with the final try), but there is no better feeling than doing it in front of the Blatchys and feeling all their support,” he said.
Blues second-rower Hudson Young on Thursday morning. Today
But not everyone was as second-hand as those two. Payne Haas said he was “tired as hell” and went straight to bed, but was looking forward to getting back to the Broncos and rubbing it in to teammates Ezra Mam, Reece Walsh and Pat Carrigan.
Daley himself also looked chipper. He may well have been up before the celebrations even finished to honour his radio commitments.
But, having gone off the grog, Daley conceded he, too, enjoyed the moment.
“I’ve been four months off the beers. I had probably a bit too many, but it feels good,” he said.
“I actually went back to radio … I don’t know how much I contributed, but it was good to be back and feel comfortable again.
“It’s special anytime you win a game of footy, but to come up here to Lang Park and to play the way we did, which is (how) we could play in Origin one and two, but just to see that performance was good.”
Daley was also once again asked about his coaching future, but remained coy.
“It’s like I said at the start of the campaign – my focus was just on game, game, game,” he said.
“(But) I know what I want to do.”
