NSW losses Gallen’s, Farah’s fault: Gould

NSW’s most successful coach Phil Gould has laid blame for the Blues’ continued State of Origin failures upon the “selfishness” of Blues team leaders Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah.

NSW succumbed to yet another Origin series loss at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night in going down 26-16, after being defeated 6-4 in game one earlier this month.

It is Queensland’s 10th series win in 11 years and in a thinly-veiled attack while commentating post-game on broadcaster Channel Nine, Gould spoke scathingly of the Blues team’s hierarchy in skipper Gallen and vice-captain Farah.

“Over a period of time I have said I have been astonished by the selfishness around this camp and around this team and in the leadership group and I don’t think it has allowed the team to evolve and to have it’s own culture and its own chemistry,” Gould said.

“It has been all about a few individuals and not about the state and about the team.

“It is no good sugar-coating the bitter pill. I keep saying that is the problem with us and until that goes and until that element is removed from it NSW can’t get over the line against this (Queensland) side.”

Gould has been a continuous critic of Gallen for some time now and called for him to be dumped from the Blues side last season.

Gallen will retire from Origin after game three next month. But the Sharks skipper said in the lead-up to to game two he would not step aside for younger players even if the the final interstate fixture was a dead rubber.

Game three in Sydney could also be Farah’s final Origin game.

Gould said Gallen’s and Farah’s ownership of the team had stifled the development of their Blues teammates.

“The solution (to winning Origin games) is having leadership in your playmaking positions, fellas that take ownership of the result at crucial periods of the game,” Gould said.

“NSW hasn’t cultivated that person and they have had to live in the shadow of the leadership we have got and the leadership has been very selfish and very domineering and it hasn’t had the chance to grow.”

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