Why does Billy Slater escape the Origin scrutiny that destroys NSW coaches?

Queensland’s 30-10 defeat to NSW in Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider should prompt an uncomfortable question for rugby league – why are Maroons coaches judged so differently to their Blues counterparts?

The Maroons entered this weeks State of Origin decider with every conceivable advantage, boasting home ground at a packed Suncorp Stadium, widespread belief they had the stronger squad and, according to many pundits, the superior coach in Billy Slater.

Yet they never led and trailed by double figures for much of the night in a comprehensive defeat where NSW were clearly the better team, dominating the contest despite being heavily impacted by injuries to star fullback James Tedesco and winger Jack Bostock.

Those are two incredibly difficult positions to cover, particularly at fullback, with Tedesco’s night ending before halftime after the NSW skipper was unable to return to the field.

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The loss also marks Slater’s second consecutive series defeat and his third in four years, with two of those defeats coming in deciding games at Suncorp Stadium, circumstances that would almost certainly have a NSW coach fighting for his job.

Just ask Brad Fittler, who won his opening two Origin series, was hailed as the man who restored pride to the Blues and still found himself under relentless pressure before ultimately losing his job after back-to-back series defeats.

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The comparison between Fittler and Slater is remarkably similar, with both coaches winning their first two series, both finishing with a 50 percent game winning record in Origin matches and both enduring consecutive series losses…..yet the conversation surrounding each could not be more different.

This is not an argument that Billy Slater should be sacked, but rather that there should be greater consistency in how coaches are assessed regardless of whether they wear blue or maroon, or at least some consistency in the conversation.

Critics will say context matters, and it certainly does, so let’s examine some of that context, because Laurie Daley was heavily criticised for the bold selections he made, while Billy Slater’s own selection and tactical decisions have largely escaped the same level of scrutiny. Or any scrutiny.

Specifically, there is likley not a coach in the game who would leave Patrick Carrigan out of a Queensland starting side, let alone then not play him a single minute in an Origin decider when his team was being comprehensively beaten through the middle.

Then there is the curious case of the back row, where in-form edge forwards such as Kulikefu Finefeuiaki and Heilum Luki did not play, while Billy Slater instead persisted with Briton Nikora, who has endured arguably the worst form of his career the past year, and an out-of-form Kurt Capewell, who turns 33 shortly.

The bench forward rotation raises just as many questions, with Trent Loiero a wholehearted player who always gives his best, but one who is unlikely to have been selected in Queensland’s Origin side by any other coaches ahead of the wealth of forward talent available.

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Nor is this the first time Slater’s forward selections yielded some strange decisions, with David Fifita previously overlooked two years ago despite being one of the most destructive edge forwards in rugby league at the time, in a series Queensland also went on to lose.

There is even an argument Fifita would have offered more impact in Wednesday night’s decider than some of the back-rowers Slater persisted with as Queensland desperately searched for points and momentum.

Slater’s interchange decisions and strategy also deserve examination, most notably the decision to take Kalyn Ponga from the field during the second half when Queensland desperately needed creativity and attacking spark to mount any hope of a comeback.

Even when Ponga returned he did not make his way to fullback where he is most dangerous and his sharp attacking skills were blunted.

The simple fact is Billy Slater has shown he more than deserves praise for his ability to coach at Origin level, and his initial results support that. But at the same time, he has clearly made several missteps and lost two series in a row, yet many of the decisions that contributed to those defeats have escaped the criticism a NSW coach would inevitably face.

If the roles were reversed and those same decisions had been made by Brad Fittler, Michael Maguire or, heaven forbid, Laurie Daley, they would likely be drawn and quartered in Pitt Street Mall amidst a mob of Blues supporters cheering for more.

Because the colour is maroon, though, that level of criticism seems completely absent, and the double standard — and the silence — is deafening.

Why does Billy Slater escape the Origin scrutiny that destroys NSW coaches?

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