Greg Alexander's fiery Origin defence of Brad Fittler: 'He's changed'
With the NSW Blues under all sorts of pressure ahead of State of Origin II, Greg Alexander launched a passionate defence of Brad Fittler.
NSW Blues assistant coach Greg Alexander has defended Brad Fittler over a supposed inclination against doing media interviews in the lead-up to State of Origin II, amid talks the 51-year-old is needs a win to keep his job. The Blues will walk into a hostile Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night needing an unlikely victory to keep the series alive after losing game one in Adelaide.
Already decimated by injuries to the likes of Latrell Mitchell and Nathan Cleary, Fittler has been accused of closing ranks around the team in the lead-up to the crucial match. It stands in stark contrast to his policy of all players being open and available to the media upon his appointment as coach back in 2018.
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Though NSW have made players available every day, with James Tedesco and Fittler fronting reporters after the captain's run, Alexander was still left to fend off accusations from NRL reporter Paul Crawley on NRL 360 on Tuesday night. Queensland coach Billy Slater was the only Maroons representative to speak with media.
Crawley put to Alexander that Fittler looked as though he would rather 'eat a bucket of nails' than speak to the media, something his assistant hit back on. Though he conceded there was no doubt Fittler's approach had changed somewhat, he said it was understandable that he wouldn't want to speak to 'certain media people' given the running commentary surrounding his future as Blues coach.
“Freddy has been the same, just because he doesn’t want to talk to certain media people doesn’t mean that Freddy is buckling under the pressure, Paul,” Alexander said. “There’s no doubt he’s changed over the five years but you show me any head coach and I’ve said this many times, the change in people over time when they are the head coach and when they carry the responsibility, it varies but it generally weighs heavily on them.
“But Freddy’s been great this week, he hasn’t changed. His willingness to be as open as he was in 2018 and 2019 has changed but boy, if you read some stories I think anyone would react like that.”
Alexander found an ally on the NRL 360 panel in Braith Anasta, who suggested it was not unreasonable for the Blues to adopt a 'siege mentality' in the face of the hostile Queensland crowd. Crawley had criticised NSW for not being upfront about potentially switching wingers, questioning why it was such a 'big deal'.
“I understand your point but it’s such a big game and could be his last, you’ve got to batten down the hatches,” Anasta said. “There’s got to be a siege mentality here and you can see that in Brandy, you can see that in Freddy, you can see that in the players, they don’t want to give anything away.
“They want to go into this game and try and ambush Queensland and put their best performance in, almost in Origin history, to come up with a win at Suncorp Stadium.”
Blues take key gamble ahead of must-win Origin II
Alexander had earlier revealed Cameron Murray and Liam Martin will both play for the Blues in a major lift for the state in the must-win clash. The Blues have been sweating on the fitness of Rabbitohs ace Murray and Panthers forward Martin after both succumbing to injuries in recent weeks.
Murray has not played since the last Origin game in Adelaide, which saw the Blues go down 26-18 to a spirited Queensland team. Now the Blues have to travel to Suncorp and win in enemy territory to keep the series alive.
Fittler took the risk of picking both Murray and Martin in the squad after stellar Game I performances. However, Murray has been dealing with a groin injury and Martin was concussed on his return to the Panthers, which has seen them avoid physical contact in training.
Despite concerns they could be under done, both Murray and Martin have been given the go ahead to play for the Blues in the must-win clash. "They're 100 per cent, the boys that had to go through rehab," Alexander said on SEN Radio.
"Liam has ticked every box of the return to play protocols. Cam Murray has ticked very box...He's a professional Cam Murray and he has got himself ready to go."
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