The NSW Blues are making a significant shift in their pre-game routine ahead of the upcoming State of Origin decider. Players will no longer utilize the underground tunnel that connects the NSWRL Centre of Excellence to Accor Stadium. Instead, the team will conduct their warm-up in the changing rooms at Accor before entering the field through the standard tunnel.
This change marks the end of a tradition that had been in place for the past six years. Team captain Isaah Yeo confirmed the decision during a press conference earlier this week. He emphasized that the previous approach had not yielded the desired emotional impact during games.
“I don’t think we’re doing it,” Yeo stated. “It can be a really good thing but then previous years it probably hasn’t served us overly well in terms of that emotion. I think it’s just about being a bit more normal.”
Yeo elaborated that playing in the actual Accor sheds is more aligned with the preparation for significant games. He noted, “We chose to go with the tunnel and then the incident (with Joseph Suaali’i getting sent off) pretty early on. It’s just a bit of normality. You warm up in the sheds, you do what you normally do in big games.”
Coaching Perspective on the Change
Head coach Laurie Daley also weighed in on the new strategy when speaking to NRL.com. He revealed that the decision to modify the routine had been under consideration since the beginning of the series. “We just want to get over there and be a part of it instead of walking over there [after the warm-up],” Daley explained.
He expressed a preference for a more conventional approach, saying, “I like getting on a bus and going to a game rather than walking to a game. That’s what it is. I’d rather jump on a bus, leave the hotel and go from there and hopefully it’s a smoother preparation.”
This decision reflects a focus on optimizing the team’s mental and emotional readiness for high-stakes matches. By reverting to a familiar routine, the Blues aim to enhance their performance and connect more deeply with the game-day atmosphere.
As the team prepares for the decisive match, the new approach could potentially foster a more cohesive and focused environment, moving away from rituals that may have contributed to previous setbacks. The upcoming game will test this strategy, and fans will be eager to see if it positively impacts the Blues’ performance on the field.
