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0 Former New South Wales coach Brad Fittler admits he would now opt to pick an outside back on his State of Origin bench.
But the man dubbed Freddy has hit out at “uneducated” people who criticised his Blues team selection during last year’s losing series.
Fittler’s fate was essentially sealed by a 2-1 loss to Queensland in 2023, with the NSWRL subsequently attempting to downsize his coaching contract – which was rejected, paving the way for Michael Maguire to take over this year.
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And it was team selections in particular which came in for criticism in the wake of losing games one and two.
Fittler put Nicho Hynes on his bench for game one in Adelaide. Hynes was only brought on late in the piece when centre Tom Trbojevic had to leave the field for a concussion test.
Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns speak on Freddy and the Eighth. Nine
With Hynes finding himself in unfamiliar territory, he was targeted and missed a tackle on Cameron Munster which led to a game-defining Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow try in the 26-18 loss.
Hynes was axed for game two and replaced by specialist hooker Damien Cook. Cook also then had to fill in at centre when Trbojevic injured a pectoral in the opening minutes of the game.
While Cook ironically scored NSW’s only try of the night, the Blues were thumped 32-6 to lose a second straight series.
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Those selections have been raised again this week after Maguire opted to pick four forwards on his bench, while Billy Slater opted to use Selwyn Cobbo in an unconventional role.
Cobbo can play all of wing, centre or fullback and Slater explained the selection was as much about injury cover as anything else.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth this week, Fittler conceded he would have picked a back on his bench this time around.
“We put Cooky there and I got heaps of criticism for that, but he scored a try, he actually did a really good job,” Fittler said.
“It’s all hindsight… at the end of the day you put an outside back on (the bench) and no one gets injured and you’re left with (an unused player).”
Fittler also bristled when reminded of Hynes’ limited game time in his Origin debut.
“That was uneducated people, whoever was saying that,” Fittler said.
“That was his whole role, to come on and fill those positions.
“He was actually beaten by Cam Munster, who actually beat Nathan Cleary before and then three other players, went around and passed it to (Tabuai-Fidow) who is the quickest bloke in the comp.
“We were just outplayed, simple as that.”
Queensland legend Paul Vautin criticised Queensland’s team selection this week due to his unconventional role for Cobbo.
The Cobbo pick leaves the Maroons with just J’Maine Hopgood and Moeaki Fotuaika to give the middle forwards a spell, with Harry Grant to play his traditional bench hooker role that has been favoured since he made his debut.
But Blues greats Fittler and Andrew Johns don’t mind the idea of carrying an outside back on the bench.
“I heard a stat that this year in the NRL, any side who has lost an outside back in the first half has not won a game,” Johns said.
“It looks like (Origin I is) going to be a power game through the middle which suits Accor (Stadium in Sydney), and there’s supposed to be rain around over the weekend.
“The ground out there can get slippery.”
Johns and Fittler suggested Matt Burton could yet be elevated onto the Blues bench.
Burton can play all of halfback, five-eighth, centre and probably lock or hooker, and is a solid defender anywhere on the field.
