Former NSW full-back Garry Jack has called for Paul Gallen to be stripped of the Blues captaincy for Origin III and questioned coach Laurie Daley’s loyalty to his ageing stars.
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Jack, who made 17 Origin appearances for the Blues from 1984-89, is happy for Gallen to play one last Origin but wants five-eighth James Maloney to captain the Blues in the dead-rubber clash on July 13.
“Sometimes I think Laurie is loyal to failure,” Jack told The Daily Telegraph.
“I wouldn’t have Gallen as captain, I would take it off him for the last game.
“Sure, he can still go and play. We appreciate everything he has done for NSW but we need a new captain.
“I mean, it happened to the great Ray Price (in 1984). I know it is 30 years ago but history tends to repeat itself.
“Pricey said he was retiring so for the third game they made Turvey captain and they brought in about three or four new blokes.
“We beat them the third game. We went on to win the first two in ‘85, all three in ‘86, and the first game in ‘87.
“So we went on to win seven out of eight games. (Daley) has got to do the same now so they will be better next year.”
Jack said of Maloney: “The bloke who has really played well is James Maloney. He is a leader and you need someone to lead who wants the ball and gets the ball.”
The former number one also called for Tigers young-gun James Tedesco to replace Penrith star Matt Moylan at starting full-back for Game 3.
“No doubt Moylan is a very good player and he will be even better in the future,” he said.
“But I think if Teddy had not have got injured he would have been there from the start and I think he is back to his best so he deserves a run at fullback - not on the wing or on the bench.”
“You have got rocks in your head if you think you can play him on the wing for NSW.
“He is the best fullback in NSW and he needs to play fullback, and Moylan I would have as an impact player coming off the bench rather than Dylan Walker.”
