New NSW camp location revealed as Daley prepares for make-or-break series

New South Wales will re-establish Magenta Shores as their new base of operations as the Blues seek to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 campaign.

For the last couple of campaigns, the Blues have been based in the Blue Mountains, however, Laurie Daley will move the side to a new home on the Central Coast to refresh their preparation.

Magenta Shores is based near The Entrance on New South Wales’s Central Coast and boasts a large golf course.

It was previously the Blues' home in the 2020 Origin series, which saw the ‘worst Queensland team in history’ produce a stunning upset.

NSW coach Laurie Daley explained to SEN the reasons behind the move.

“(We’ll be) up at Magenta Shores on the Central Coast," Daley confirmed to SEN 1170 Afternoons.

“The Blue Mountains were terrific. It was an unbelievable location for us, but we just thought that we'd change it up.

“The boys have been there for the last two years, so (it’s) just to freshen up.

“Magenta Shores is beautiful. They've hosted sporting teams up here before and really looking forward to getting up there.

“One thing you know with an Origin camp, you've got to make it a bit of fun as well, and the players these days, they certainly don't bond the way that we did when we were playing.

“They bond over a lot of different things, and golf is certainly a big part of the make-up of it.

“A lot of football players, they just love getting out there. It's certainly not my thing, but some of the players… absolutely love it.”

There will be plenty of new players in contention to join Daley in camp in Magenta Shores, with momentous changes to the eligibility rules for player selection.

From this season, players will be eligible for Origin provided they were born in, or played rugby league before the age of 13, in New South Wales or Queensland, irrespective of which nation they represent on an international level.

The change means players like Sharks’ prop Addin Fonua-Blake and Panthers’ centre Casey McLean are now eligible to represent the Blues.

Daley discussed his selection process with the expanded player pool now available for selection.

“Obviously you identify the players that you think will be in that arena, and then you follow them quite closely with your eye, watching them at games of football and reviewing that throughout the week,” Daley said.

“Also, guys that I trust, in terms of tapping into their knowledge and… tapping into the data that's available and some people there that I really trust that allow me access to certain things.

“So for me it's, just now that the season’s started, just keep an eye on individual players, if there's any trends starting to occur in the game, and basically be all over it.

“When we go to select the team, we're right across every aspect of it.”

Daley will be hoping a different home location and expanded player pool will bring different results as he enters the final year of his contract as Blues coach.

Craig Bellamy is currently not involved with the Blues set-up for this year after acting as a consultant for Daley last season, but Daley insists the door is open for the Storm coach to be involved in any way he wants.

Matt King, Dean Young, and Brett White make up the rest of Daley’s coaching staff, with Daley confident his team of head coaches in waiting will deliver a series win.

“They all bring different skill sets to the coaching group, all head coaches in the waiting (and are) very, highly regarded and (we’re) very lucky to have them on our staff.

“The other thing about having those guys involved is they're doing it day to day, and they're analysing players. They know what's actually the trends of the game…and what we need to continually look at.

“We meet and speak quite often about individuals, about plans that we have in place, and try and get together just to chinwag and make sure we're all aligned… before we actually go into camp.”

Game I of the State of Origin series kicks off on May 27 in Sydney.