New South Wales coach Laurie Daley says there were plenty of positives to come out of Wednesday’s State of Origin clash despite his side’s one-point loss to Queensland in Sydney.
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The Blues face a series-saving clash at the MCG in Origin II, but Daley said his was buoyed by the fact that his side were able to match it with Queensland on the scoreboard for a majority of the game despite not playing their best football.
“From what I saw tonight, it gets me really excited,” Daley is quoted as saying by AAP.
“We were nowhere near our best – we will see what happens.”
New South Wales’ defence held up well despite the onslaught from the Maroons, but a combination of poor ball handling and penalties allowed Queensland to sneak over the line with hard-fought win.
Meanwhile, Queensland coach Mal Meninga took a swipe at his side’s critics following their win in front of just over 80,000 people at ANZ Stadium.
The Maroons were labelled as being “too old” prior to the series, with many New South Wales newspapers calling the end of Queensland’s golden era.
“They are wrong,” Meninga said post-match.
“They are a fantastic bunch of fellas, some of the greats of the game, who keep proving the critics wrong – as a coach that is sensational.”
The Blues will aim to square up the series when the two sides face-off at the MCG on June 17 for Origin II.
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