Amidst the ongoing conversations regarding who Laurie Daley should retain or drop before the State of Origin decider, former NSW Blues player Luke Keary pointed out that many are missing a crucial aspect.
The Blues faced a heavy defeat of 44-24 during Game 2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, leading to debates on whether Daley should opt for Cameron Murray or Ethan Strange in the halves, especially considering the potentially unfit Mitchell Moses.
However, Keary emphasized that the selection for the Suncorp Stadium decider is not as critical as it seems. To him, the essence of Origin lies in the "environment" fostered by the coach.
Currently, he perceives the atmosphere within the NSW camp as "inconsistent," using a few instances involving Blues halfback Nathan Cleary, who was the Game 1 man of the match, to illustrate his point.
"The issue I've got, and this is going to be discussed for the next three weeks, is that everyone thinks this is about the team. It's not about the team at all. It is about the environment that coach creates," Keary stated on NRL 360.
"Look at the Queensland side. There's guys in there who wouldn't be in that New South Wales side. That New South Wales team on paper is a better team."