Embarrassment can be good motivator, NSW coach Fittler

Coach Brad Fittler is urging NSW to use the “embarrassment” of blowing the State of Origin series opener as motivation to create history, admitting the loss still burns him ahead of Wednesday’s must-win second game.

The Blues were sitting pretty with 12 minutes to play in Game I at Adelaide Oval, up by two points and with an extra man advantage after Queensland’s Tom Flegler was sin-binned.

But five minutes after Flegler left the field, the Maroons dashed down the left to snatch the lead through Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. Then they closed the game out with Cameron Munster’s four-pointer in the final exchanges.

Fittler has spent the ensuing camp for Game II managing injuries to Cameron Murray, Latrell Mitchell and Liam Martin, readying debutants Reece Robson and Stefano Utoikamanu for the Origin cauldron and helping Mitch Moses and Jarome Luai forge overnight chemistry in the halves.

But he is still at a loss to explain the late capitulation.

“We were in a really good position and we relaxed and I don’t know why,” he said.

“We can’t have any of that.”

Fighting for his job and to reclaim the Origin shield, Fittler hoped having a win snatched away so abruptly could help spark the Blues when they took the field at Suncorp Stadium.

“I hope so. It burns me,” he said.

“You don’t normally get them looking that good and to let them go like that, it was pretty disappointing.

“A bit embarrassing, towards the end. Sometimes embarrassment is a pretty good motivator.”

Captain James Tedesco missed his assignment in defence in the lead-up to Queensland’s two decisive tries.

The fullback slipped over and so did not lay a hand on Tabuai-Fidow, and ahead of the second try, prop forward Lindsay Collins outleapt him to catch the ball and set Munster up.

Facing scrutiny over his spot in the side for the first time, Tedesco has been steeled to improve by the late fade.

“It’s motivating for sure,” he said.

“We learn our lessons and we know that that’s what Origin games are won on, on big moments.

“We can’t just cross our fingers and hope we can get the win, we’ve got to create it as a team and do everything we can together.”

The Blues’ 12 minutes of pain has left them with a hefty task ahead.

Fittler’s side must now become the first Blues team in history to level the series in Brisbane and then go on to win the series.

Only once, in 1998, have NSW been able to level the series at Suncorp Stadium after losing the first game.

But that side, of which Fittler was a member, was unable to close things out in Game III.

“It’s never been done before so this is the first step of that,” Fittler said.

“Regardless of the past, we need to win, it’s as simple as that.

“We give ourselves a really good chance.

“It’s been a really good week training and the conditions are good.

“The majority of the team have played up here enough to expect anything. Nothing can be an excuse.”