No booze does the trick for the Blues

When NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley took over as Blues coach for the start of the 2013 series, he knew he needed to clean up the team’s culture and get rid of any obstacles to success.

NSW came agonisingly close that year, but yet again it was the Maroons lifting the Origin shield at the end of three brutal clashes.

So, when 2014 rolled around, Daley put his foot down.

He knew he had to stamp his authority on the team and did so by implementing an alcohol ban on his players.

As part of this, he ditched the usual team base in Coogee for one well out of the spotlight in Coffs Harbour, where the players couldn’t possibly misbehave.

Front rower James Tamou had been arrested for drink driving in 2013, and while he was suspended for game II, the big man was allowed to come back into the side for game III.

Daley knew that this was the sort of culture that had to be eradicated in order for the Blues to finally put an end to Queensland’s eight-year dominance.

Prior to the 2014 series, Daley publicly endorsed Mitchell Pearce as his halfback and ensured us that his spot was not in any doubt.

The Roosters number seven had been criticised for his performances at Origin level in the past, but his coach was standing by him as the man who could lead NSW to glory.

So when Pearce was involved in an early-morning, alcohol-fuelled altercation with police and subsequently arrested, it came as a bit of a shock when he was overlooked for selection for game I.

But it was another black-eye for rugby league, and another NSW player stepping out of line.

Pearce’s actions didn’t align with the standards that Daley was trying to set for the NSW team, and so it was Trent Hodkinson who got the nod for the first game.

Whilst probably not in his original plans, Daley stuck with the Bulldogs playmaker throughout the whole series despite not setting the world on fire in game I. He was good, but not great.

But with a series win within reach it was Hodkinson who scored the match-levelling try and kicked the winning goal, and the rest is history.

Daley’s no-nonsense, hard-nosed approach transformed the Blues into a side that had come so close on numerous occasions, to one that completely outplayed the Maroons in all facets of the game.

“I think it's good what Laurie’s done,” said centre Josh Morris prior to the series. “He's taken it a different direction and it can only be a positive.”

“He took last year's loss as bad as us and he’s really thought about this series and this campaign and this is one of those steps.”

Plenty of good coaches had been at the reigns during the Blues’ eight-year run of defeats, and all except Daley failed to work out the key to success.

The likes of Ricky Stuart, Craig Bellamy and the late Graham Murray all stuck with the same routine that had led to defeat the year before, and the same results ensued.

But by breaking the mould and re-writing the manual on how to prepare for an Origin campaign, Daley completely changed the culture of the Blues, and the Origin shield is south of the border as a result.