Laurie Daley and Craig Bellamy failed as State of Origin coaches. Why have they come back for more?

That he still wants to do it again, knowing full well the price he will pay if things once more go awry, speaks to Daley’s connection to the state. His appointment also speaks to a lack of alternatives. A 40 per cent win rate from five series, albeit against the greatest Maroons teams ever assembled, is not a record that instils fear north of the Tweed.

Craig Bellamy’s presence would have made Daley’s pitch stand out from the crowd, but the Storm mentor’s own record at interstate level is also underwhelming. Bellamy lost three straight series as NSW coach from 2008-10, the only arena where he is yet to taste success.

For NSW to be successful, Bellamy and Daly must learn from their mistakes.

I recall asking Tim Mannah for recollections of his Origin debut, made under Bellamy in 2010, during a recent segment of Crunch time on SEN radio.

“I didn’t enjoy my first experience,” Mannah said. “I came in for a dead rubber, that may have played a part, but it wasn’t a fun camp. I remember walking away thinking ‘You know what, I’ve ticked off Origin, if I never play again, I’ve done it.’ It didn’t feel special, it felt like I was going into an NRL camp for the week.”

Contrast that with the following series, when Ricky Stuart took over.

“When I left camp I couldn’t wait to get back,” Mannah said. “It was the best experience of my whole life. I’m like, ‘That’s what it’s about, I’ll doing anything to get back.’”

Thankfully for Daley and Bellamy, Maguire has left a blueprint for success. The decision to sack James Tedesco as fullback and captain, the type of call Daley has struggled with in the past, has already been made. Maguire’s move to the Blue Mountains was another masterstroke.

Most importantly, Maguire has proved that loyalty and reputations should make way for form. The series will be won at the selection table.

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With football in hand, Daley was at his most effective when simply charging into the opposition. When Phil Gould was the NSW coach and Daley was the five-eighth, Gus had just one instruction: Run.

Now, the mild-mannered Daley needs to metaphorically charge headlong into the opposition. If it means getting under the skin of Queensland counterpart Billy Slater, as Maguire did with his “glasshouses” sledge, then so be it.

Having been on the wrong end of a dynasty, this is a chance for Daley to create his own. While he will have the great Bellamy by his side to guide him, the buck ultimately will stop with him.

This time, things will have to be different or the results will be the same. As Dostoevsky also said: “Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.”

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