This is Laurie Daley’s Tony Popovic moment. It’s likely one of his last as a coach

June 16, 2026 — 7:30pm

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This is Laurie Daley’s Tony Popovic moment. The crossroad between masterstroke and misstep.

Daley approaches the juncture at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday night, a happy hunting ground for his team, armed with a 1-0 series advantage. A raft of selection gambles will determine whether his second stint as NSW coach is more successful than the first.

The mail is, regardless of the result of this match or the series, that this will be Daley’s last year in charge. It is a chance to go out on his own terms and improve a record that stands at one series win from six.

During his first stint with the clipboard, Daley went up against perhaps the best Maroons teams assembled. Would those results have been different if the coaches had swapped sides? If Mal Meninga coached the Blues, and Daley the Maroons?

Probably not. Queensland had the better team, and the better team won.

The same can’t........

© Brisbane Times