State of Origin: Brad Fittler gets NSW backing ahead of Perth showdown
New South Wales Rugby League boss Dave Trodden has thrown his support behind Blues coach Brad Fittler and says he will still be at the helm in 2023 no matter what happens in Perth on Sunday night.
NSW trail Queensland 1-0 in the State of Origin series and will be desperate to level matters in game two. However no matter what happens at Optus Stadium, Fittler will remain in charge next year.
The Blues coach is under contract for 2023. There is also the option to stay on in 2024 if he wins another series either this year or next.
Fittler has been in the spotlight since losing game one 16-10 in Sydney. He has also received some criticism for the mass changes he has made for game two.
NSW salute Fittler impact
Only time will tell whether the changes pay off. But Trodden has been glowing in his praise of Fittler and says he has his full support.
“What Freddy has delivered to our organisation since his appointment as coach has been nothing short of outstanding,” Trodden told the Sydney Morning Herald. “He’s delivered consistent success, and always had the self-confidence to do things his way. All I will say is, underestimate him at your peril.”
Fittler has also been linked with a coaching job in the NRL. The Canterbury Bulldogs are hunting for Trent Barrett’s replacement and Fittler has been linked.
His close association with Bulldogs footy boss Phil Gould puts him in the frame. However he has always spoken of his pride in coaching the Blues. He can also combine it with his media work, making it the perfect balance.
Brad Fittler defends changes
Meanwhile, Fittler has also defended his changes once again. He says they have had a good week in Perth and are now ready to fire on Sunday night.
“I’ve got to pick a team that’s going to win and I make no apologies for that,” he told reporters at the press conference on Saturday. “It’s been a great week of training and I feel like we’ve made some good decisions.”
Fittler believes they have learnt plenty from the game one defeat. But now they have to go out and put it right on the pitch.
“I think we went away and noted that we could do some things better,” Fittler added. “We’ve trained accordingly but it gives you no guarantees. We need to make it happen, just because you lost the first one doesn’t mean anything.”
