The Agenda Setters Rugby League on Channel 7 Laurie Daley says “You don’t want to take someone in that’s underdone” – Tonight on The Agenda Setters: Rugby League Corey Parker (CP), David Riccio (DR), Aaron Woods (AW) and Luke Keary (LK) discuss the biggest topics of Rugby League.
Laurie Daley speaks live on Ethan Strange’s no fuss attitude, and how it helped NSW win Origin 1.
AW: Loz, I want to talk about young Ethan Strange. You mentioned that he sort of trained at hooker, he trained at lock. You talk about preparation’s key to origin’s. You lose Mitchell Moses on the Monday afternoon after the biggest session of the week. What’s the conversation like when you feel that you probably won’t play Mitchell with the little tweak he’s had in the hamstring. You go straight to Ethan Strange. What have you said to him, because he’s definitely going to be playing that Wednesday night?
LD: Yeah, well, I’d sort of got nothing back from Ethan, to be fair. He’s just a kid that just takes it all, whatever comes his way. And we sort of said to him, don’t overthink it, don’t overplay it, just play to your strengths, which is your running game. And I think he did that extremely well. He certainly wasn’t overawed, and he’s got great self-belief. But he’s a kid that, if he was ever going to handle it, it was him to come in in that situation, because it’s a bit like Casey McLean. They don’t show too much emotion. They just get on with it. They were happy to be there. When you think about it, both he and Casey played important roles in the outcome of that contest. And I suppose both weren’t assured of game time leading in, because with a six-man bench, you’re just unsure of how it’s going to operate on the night. And things change, as it did in Origin One. So you’ve just got to be ready. They were both ready to go. And it was a hell of a performance from Ethan, though.
Laurie Daley on Stephen Crichton potentially being out of Origin 2.
DR: Loz, this afternoon we’ve heard of reports in relation to Stephen Crichton, the Blues centre and Bulldogs captain, reinjuring his shoulder. I would like to get your thoughts on whether you’re concerned about that, as far as his selection is concerned.
LD: With Crichton, that’s obviously breaking news about him potentially missing this weekend. So I’ll need to check and see where he’s at and see whether he’s available for Origin 2 and how much prep he can actually get done, because you don’t want to take someone in that’s underdone. So, yeah, until I get all that information, I’m unsure where Crichton is at the moment. But with the Hookers, they’ll be the sort of three guys we’re looking at.
Laurie Daley deflects questions on whether he is stepping down as NSW Blues coach
CP: Laurie Daley, mate, we really appreciate your time. Before we let you go, however, there has been suggestions that win, lose or draw in this series, that this will be your last. Can you confirm or deny if that is the case?
LD: Corey, my focus, mate, is on Game 2. That’s all I’m worried about at the moment, making sure that I do the right thing by New South Wales and have this team prepared. We’ve got a big opportunity to wrap up the series, and we know that it’s going to be one hell of a game. And we will need to be better than what we were in Game 1, mate. So I know that, yeah, I just know that we’re going to be better. We know Queensland will be better. And people that watch will see a terrific game of footy.
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The Agenda Setters Rugby League on Channel 7 Laurie Daley says “You don’t want to take someone in that’s underdone”
