Three essential services must be provided by the home venue when hosting a State of Origin decider: Adequate security, a glum pre-match musical act, and enough paramedics trained in the Heimlich manoeuvre for when the NSW halfback inevitably chokes on the pressure. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The Maroons 24-12 blindside in last night’s decider was as certain as death and Sydney road tolls, and frankly, we Blues supporters should’ve known we were cactus from the opening whistle. And not just because it was blown by Ashley Klein. NSW were unbackable favourites, the Maroons were not, and Accor Stadium thrummed with the gleeful expectancy of a crowd that had completely forgotten about its state’s grotesque record in deciders. But as all the familiar signs of Maroons success began to emerge – repeated defensive heroics, a blonde halfback picking us apart, Cameron Smith ovulating – we needed a hero to step up and stem Queensland’s fairytale BS. But what did we get? Another dampened Blues halfback in Nathan Cleary and another cinematically-epic Blues bed-wetting choke job. Cleary’s stature as one of the modern day icons is under no threat, but suffering through the Panthers champion getting schooled in pressure footy 101 by Tom Dearden is enough to reignite the referendum on his number seven jersey. As such, there is no more salient time to remember that the last four Blues victories have featured one constant in the halves: Mitchell Moses. In fact, NSW hasn’t won a game without the feisty Eel since game two of 2022. And while injury has admittedly seen him used as sparingly as mum’s good cutlery, the first point of order next series is to strip Cleary and permanently anoint the Parramatta playmaker to the centrepiece of the top table. Frankly, there is no other choice after Cleary struggled again in the face of a Maroons defence that tackled like they were last fed in the Autumn of ‘98. And while he’s not the first to fall victim to relentless kick pressure, a voracious middle third or just edge defence that continually cut off the snacks trolley before it left the kitchen, all are hallmarks of a decider that Cleary has yet to cope with in three failed attempts. Never mind that the opposition defence tackled like men possessed and our forwards didn’t get off the bus. Hand the reins to Moses not just because of the impressive impact he’s made in his short history at Origin level, nor because he’s angrier than Cleary and will happily cattle prod his own teammates when they slack off, like most did last night. But let’s do it for the simple fact we can’t risk another decider praying this is finally the one where Cleary pops his cherry on the big stage. Better still, Moses is a versatile plug that doesn’t need a surrounding support cast like Jarome Luai, Dylan Edwards and Isaah Yeo, so it’s not rocket science to pivot to an alternative who wins more and requires less parts. As for the coach? Just because we’ve choked on a favourites tag and cannibalised a halfback doesn’t mean we won’t clear space in our crowded oesophagus for the coach too. Returning to the Origin arena with a breezy game one win at Suncorp, Daley would’ve been forgiven for believing this was his chance to get one back by finally making the Maroons look like Magoos. But after concluding the series overseeing a pair of fortress breaches in Sydney and Perth, the lingering pong of his former tenure has only been refertilised. Featuring two of the most scandalously woeful first halves you’ll ever suffer through, Daley’s series collapse has us Blues sceptics thinking again that Queensland’s eight in a row streak might not have been solely due to Cam Smith cheating. While not the first NSW coach to struggle with having the best players at his disposal, Daley blowing a 1-0 lead and the home ground advantage by rolling out a side that was ill-disciplined and unhealthy was like a jockey saluting early at the wrong finishing post. Everyone slammed Billy Slater’s selections as tactical terrorism when in hindsight we should’ve scrutinised Daley for his unsightly lack of soft tissue and backbone. While Brian To’o and Payne Haas didn’t let anyone down despite carrying various ailments, Cleary’s ongoing groin injury was apparent throughout- and I acknowledge it’s a huge ask, but would it kill us to have a halfback fit enough to kick the footy? As for other selection clangers, Max King was brave but ultimate fodder in the white hot clinches of a decider, whereas the distinctly average Stefano Utoikamanu was clearly a Craig Bellamy captain’s pick that Daley should’ve calmly addressed with a life ban when he missed his flight to camp. – Dane Eldridge is a warped cynic yearning for the glory days of rugby league, a time when the sponges were magic and the Mondays were mad. He’s never strapped on a boot in his life, and as such, should be taken with a grain of salt.