Bulldog's Bite: Daley's heartache

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Coach Laurie Daley during NSW Blues Origin Training. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

LAURIE Daley sat in his backyard on Thursday, let out a long sigh and summed up NSW's pain with seven simple words.

"It is another 12 months of heartache."

Daley told The Daily Telegraph his Blues would "keep fighting". He also apologised to Blues fans.

Bulldog: You shattered?

Daley: I am, and I'm disappointed. But not as much as the players. It hurts, but I'm just feeling for our players. They gave it everything. I am proud of them. They were outstanding - they just kept fighting and fighting. They never gave up. Unfortunately we just weren't good enough to win when the moment arrived.

Bulldog: Mitch Pearce's performance?

Daley: I am supportive of all my players. But to ask whether Mitch will be in the team next year ... 12 months is a long time. Again, the team will be picked on form and merit. We will see where we are next year. I like Mitch, he's a great kid and I support him.

Bulldog: I hate to remind you but there are two Origin games in Brisbane next season.

Daley: It won't be any harder than what we've been through this year. 

Bulldog: NSW certainly had a host of half-chances?

Daley: Yes, plenty. When you are playing a champion team, you have to take those chances. In a true Origin game, which that was on Wednesday night, you don't get many opportunities so when they come around you have to make sure you are clinical. That is where we let ourselves down.

Bulldog: Have you been running over the key moments again and again in your head?

Daley: There were plenty of them. I am sure ... we will continue to analyse them.

Bulldog: Your are torturing yourself, Laurie.

Daley: We have to put strategies and plans in place for next year. It (a series win) is going to happen. We are getting there but disappointed we couldn't do it this year. We have to keep fighting.

Bulldog: Does Queensland have a psychological edge?

Daley: I don't think there is psychological edge. Sometimes you have to make your own luck and they did that. There were moments when we had our chances. Effort-wise, we were courageous and strong. They gave it their best. They can walk off with their heads high. It wasn't an easy campaign but we stuck at it.

Bulldog: Darius Boyd denied NSW by grounding in-goal with the faintest of fingertips. It was cruel for NSW.

Daley: One replay looked like he rolled over it. But at the end of the day they finished off better than we did. It was tremendous game of footy. Hard. For me that was a true Origin game. Not giving an inch and it came down to the last few minutes. That has always been how Origin is.

Bulldog: The streaker. Some laughed but the incident happened at a serious time with just three minutes remaining.

Daley: Most definitely. In a game so hard-fought, three minutes can be like 10 minutes. I know they were the rules (to disallow the try but give Queensland an extra set of six) but I would have liked them to go back and have a play-the-ball, which was on tackle five.

Bulldog: Is he an imbecile?

Daley: Look, it's disappointing. That type of behaviour at a sporting event is not called for. What do you do?

Bulldog: Guys like Greg Bird and Paul Gallen. They must suffer more than others because they have been there so long and not won a series.

Daley: Exactly right. I know how much they hurt and how much they love the NSW jersey. And I know how much they will give the team next year. It is another 12 months of heartache but we will remain positive. The application is there, so is the desire, the passion and self-belief.

Bulldog: Twelve months of heartache. That's a long pain.

Daley: It is. You put a lot of time and effort into your planning. It all boils down to a couple of minutes at the end of the day. We get on with it. Queensland were very good. We weren't good enough.

Bulldog: There was a feeling NSW was ready to roll over Queensland late.

Daley: I was always confident, even at half-time. When Trent Merrin scored that try I thought: "Here we come". There was 10 minutes left and we were ready. But, like the champion team they are, Queensland didn't give an inch. We couldn't quite do it.

Choc's game  ball goes to  a real warrior

HE was part of a beaten side but Anthony Watmough produced a moving and touching moment after full-time.

Bulldog: What was the dressing room like?

Daley: It was gut-wrenching. It was hard to take. But you know what? We met a special guy through the week (Dennis Inggs, who has stage four melanoma) who is going through a tough period in his life, which is a lot tougher than what we're going through. It puts things into perspective.

Bulldog: I understand Watmough won the NSW game ball and presented it to Dennis?

Daley: Yeah, "Choc" (Watmough) gave him his game ball. It was a huge gesture. Dennis had an impact on all our players. I have a cousin, she is battling away. At times you think you're doing it tough but when you put it into reality, they are going through a time that is a lot more difficult than what we are going through. At the end of the day it is a big game of footy but they are going through tough times. There is always someone doing it tougher than you.

Bulldog: Were NSW the better side in two of the three games?

Daley: I think it was an even contest. Game two we were off the pace, games one and three I thought we played to where we wanted to be at times. There is a lot of improvement left in this team. We are starting to get depth. We have introduced some guys into the squad and had guys here for a couple of years. Our senior players have still got games in them. For us, it is an exciting time but I feel sorry for the fans but thank them for their patience and support. They have done it tough but have always been behind the team. It will be worthwhile once we get there.

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