NRL – New South Wales State of Origin coach Laurie Daley is in Auckland for this weekends Auckland Nines.
Daley and a number of other former Origin greats including Petero Civoncieva, Steve Menzies and incoming Queensland coach Kevin Walters have made the trip to New Zealand for the tournament which is expected to be played before a massive home town crowd at Eden Park baying for a Warriors Nines win.
Daley is enjoying the calm before the storm of Origin preparation begins but even in Auckland he couldn’t avoid questions about under fire halfback Mitchell Pearce, although he played a straight bat to the questioning that even Australian cricket captain Steve Smith would be proud of.