Brad Fittler's admission about wife after win in State of Origin II
Brad Fittler told reporters they could "ask his wife" how boring he is when queried about whether the 'Fun Freddie' was back following NSW's win in State of Origin II.
NSW are flying high following their 44-12 demolition of Queensland on Sunday night in Perth, but captain James Tedesco and coach Fittler know it will be a "different beast" when the Blues march into enemy territory for the series decider at Suncorp.
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NSW ran in five tries in the second half in Game II, while Queensland were unable to score a single point after the break.
The result levelled the series at 1-1, with the decider to be played at Suncorp Stadium on July 13.
Fittler has in a much happier mood after the second game compared to when NSW went down 16-10 in the series opener in Sydney.
But the coach was quick to snuff out any thoughts of complacency from his players and shot down questions from reporters about his more relaxed demeanour.
“I know we talked about ‘Fun Freddie’ being back but … you were feeling it (the pressure), weren’t you, during the week?” one reporter asked him.
Fittler replied: "I’m now 50, I don’t drink anymore. You can ask my wife, she thinks I’m that boring."
Reporter: “You looked way more fun tonight.”
Fittler: “The fun went a while ago actually, about 20 years.”
Reporter: “You were a little bit, sort of tense.”
Fittler: “It is what it is, it’s a tense situation. You’ve got to win.”
Journo: “I’m not criticising you, that’s what I’m saying.”
Fittler: “I’m just telling you, we had to win - simple as that. Now they (NSW players) will know what it feels like so we need to somehow keep the burn.”
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The Blues haven't won an Origin series after losing the first game in Sydney since 1994, a fact that Fittler remembers very well.
"It's 1-1. As good as that was (in Perth), it's 1-1. Simple as that," he said.
"We're playing at Suncorp, and we've only won once there in (the past) four years."
Queensland have enjoyed a remarkable success rate when the series has gone to a decider, winning eight of the past nine in such a scenario.
The Maroons' home venue has also historically been a graveyard for the Blues.
"We know it's going to be a different beast going up there," Tedesco said.
"(It will be a) packed Suncorp, everyone against us. But it's a challenge we'll look forward to.
"I think we'll take a lot of confidence out of this game. We'll identify some stuff we can get better at."
As for Queensland, captain Daly Cherry-Evans scoffed when asked whether the loss was an embarrassment for the Maroons.
"Gees, they're big words ... and there's a lot of headlines that media like to put on certain performances," Cherry-Evans said.
"But looking at my teammates, there's not one person that didn't try their hardest out there tonight.
"It probably looked like we lost a fair bit of concentration there for 30 minutes, but I can't question the effort we put out there."
with AAP
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