Fittler, Gould defend Haumole Olakau'atu before Game II
Brad Fittler and Phil Gould backed Laurie Daley before Game II of the 2026 State of Origin series after a report questioned his approach, with the criticism landing on haumole olakau'atu’s broader camp pressure ahead of kickoff. Fittler said the Blues needed to answer for their coach on the field, while Gould rejected the recent scrutiny as unfair.
Fittler’s Channel Nine defence
Fittler used Channel Nine’s pre-game coverage to push back after a Code Sports report claimed Daley’s pre-game addresses lacked “oomph” and that he was too passive during training. He said, “There was an article that came out a couple of days ago and it questioned our coach, our players and the respect they have for our coach,” before urging the side to respond together.
“Well tonight, they need to come out here and show heart and passion and show passion for the coach. The coach was our best player ever and they can’t walk away from that,” Fittler said. He added: “The players need to stand up for 80 minutes tonight. They need to be all heart – just like their coach,” setting the standard he wanted from the Blues in Game II.
Gould backs Daley
Gould also defended Daley on Channel Nine, saying recent criticism of the NSW coach was unwarranted. He said that if Wayne Bennett were coaching Origin this week, he would be just as nervous as Daley, and argued that coaches who do not work in the role every day face added pressure.
“If you’re not doing it day-in and day-out and if it’s not your trade to deal with players and nuances in the game and media... I can’t imagine those fellas who come in and do it for three games a year don’t feel an exacerbated amount of pressure in the role and I really feel sorry for them,” Gould said. He also said, “At the end of the day, players win games.”
Daley’s Origin record
Daley has won one of his six previous series in charge, and that record fed the pressure building around him this week. He was also made to address that record at a pre-game press conference, with the report and the public defence arriving in the final build-up to Game II.
Braith Anasta called the Code Sports report “personal” and a “hit piece,” while the report itself cited multiple sources inside the Blues camp. That left Daley facing two separate lines of fire before the match: criticism of his coaching methods and questions about leaks from inside the NSW setup.
Game II is scheduled to be played tonight, and the response from Daley’s players now carries more weight than the pre-game arguments around him.
