NSW coach Laurie Daley has stunned his radio colleagues by arriving in the studio for a chat live on air after celebrating for hours after the Blues’ stunning series-clinching win on Wednesday night.
Daley has starred on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast show for 10 years and he has been on hiatus while taking charge of the team for this year’s series.
Soon after fulltime, the former Canberra Raiders champion admitted he had been abstaining from alcohol for 15 weeks and was looking forward to a beer or two as he celebrated with the team.
It sounded like he did just that when he arrived at the show’s studio in Brisbane just before 6am on Thursday, surprising his co-hosts Gerard Middleton, and former Origin stars Kevin Walters and Josh Reynolds.
Daley had been out letting his hair down ‘until dawn’, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I’ve sobered up, I’ve sobered up,’ Daley said while his co-hosts laughed in the background.
NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley (left) is pictured with his co-hosts from Sky’s Big Sports Breakfast show. He stunned them by rocking up in the studio early on Thursday morning
Daley got behind the microphone after celebrating ‘until dawn’ with the team. He said he’d been off the drink for 15 weeks before the Blues won the State of Origin series with one of footy’s great underdog wins on Wednesday night (pictured)
Daley (pictured celebrating with Blues star Stephen Crichton) became emotional as he revealed what the win meant to him
‘The great Loz has appeared from nowhere,’ Middleton said.
‘So just to paint the picture, the offices here in Brisbane where we are, are just around the corner, pretty much, from the Blues’ hotel.
‘Honestly, we did not expect this at all.’
‘Do you reckon I would’ve turned up if we’d lost?’ Daley asked.
Middleton then read out messages from listeners who paid tribute to the coach after one of the biggest boilover wins in Origin history.
Daley sounded like he was struggling to keep his composure as he opened up about what the win meant to him after he was subjected to some intensely personal criticism while the Blues were lucky to win game one and got smashed in game two.
‘For me, it’s very hard to describe. It’s very emotional. You appreciate friendships,’ he said.
‘I had a lot of messages from a lot of people. I really appreciate it. I love everyone’s support. I’m celebrating.’
The NSW coach (pictured second from right with some of his radio colleagues) hit back at his critics after being on the end of personal attacks while the Blues struggled in the first two games of the series
Daley (pictured embracing Nathan Cleary after the win) talked about the effect of the criticism on his family
Daley returned serve to his critics in the post-match press conference, telling reporters who blasted his ability ‘when they don’t even come to a training session’ or front up in person at media opportunities to ‘show some balls’.
He doubled down on those sentiments on the show.
‘It’s been hard to take,’ he said of criticisms that included rumours the players didn’t rate his motivational speeches.
‘I don’t care about people putting the boot in if it’s about selections or how we played or whatever, but some of it was personal.
‘We can have a difference of opinion, but I just found that people, for whatever reason, people wanted to have a crack.
‘I didn’t listen or read, but people would tell me, message me about what was said, and it’s not nice.
‘Family are very protective of you, and that’s what you love about them.
‘People want to attack everyone and they have no idea what they are going through.
‘You cop it but it’s your family, and they get upset.
‘And when your mother cries, or your daughter or your brother or your sister, it just annoys me.’
The 56-year-old is now out of contract to coach the Blues and he played coy when he was asked about whether he’d like to go around again after the 30-12 win.
‘I’ve got my mind made up [about] what I want to do. I’ve enjoyed it, but we’ll see what happens,’ he said.
‘I knew what I wanted to do coming into this series, so for me, you don’t change course.’
