KEITH T. DENNET | South | Contact
As 50,000 bloodthirsty Queenslanders chant for the complete annihilation of the Blues, an unconventional and bold pep talk is taking place in the bowels of Suncorp Stadium, it can be reported.
While a packed crowd of sun-damaged northerners stomp in their thongs in the stands above the NSW dressing room, it’s believed Blues coach Lauire Daley has decided to rev up the boys by reading several chapters of Herman Melville's Moby Dick.
Reading prose from a vintage hardcover copy of the novel, Daley is allegedly explaining to his team, many of whom are unfamiliar with the Great American Novel, how the story is an allegory for their challenge tonight against the Maroons.
“Boys, think about what we can all learn from Ishmael and Queequeg, about their friendship! Their camaraderie! Finding humanity in times of struggle…”
“That’s how I want us to play tonight. Cleary and Moses, you guys need to look past your surface differences, your fates are intertwined in this next 80 minutes that you share together.”
Onlookers say it's an interesting strategy being employed by Coach Daley, who for much of the series has been accused of not being able to get the limp Blues up for the physicality required to compete in the national gladiatorial contest of biblical proportions.
"I was surprised when he pulled out a 720 page sea novel from 1851" said one member of the coaching team.
However, with less than eight minutes before they run out the hallowed turf of Lang Park, the NSW players say they’re right up for the battle, and not at all confused about tonight’s game plan.
“I didn’t really get it, the book was kinda hard to understand,” Blues enforcer Hudson Young told The Advocate.”
“Most of the boys kept giggling about how this whole story was based on a sperm whale. I didn't know thats what they were called haha"”
“But yeah. I get it. Basically the moral of the story is to not miss your chance to spear the big white bastard at five-eighth"
More Origin carnage to come.
