‘No One Deserved to be Dropped’: NSW Defending Origin Team Following the New South Wales Blues’ disappointing 50-6 loss in Game II of the State of Origin series, head coach Brad Fittler has defended his decision not to make any changes to the team for Game III. Despite the heavy defeat, Fittler insists that none of his players deserved to be dropped and that he has faith in the same squad to turn things around. “I don’t think anyone deserved to be dropped,” Fittler said. “We played a poor game in Game II, but I believe we have the players and the ability to bounce back.” Fittler’s decision not to make any changes has been met with mixed reactions. Some critics argue that the Blues need to shake things up and bring in new faces, while others believe that consistency is key and that the team should stick with the players who got them to the Grand Final last year. One player who may have been considered for a recall is injured fullback Tom Trbojevic, but Fittler said that Trbojevic is still not fit enough to play. “Tommy is still not 100% fit,” Fittler said. “We’re hopeful that he’ll be right for the start of the NRL season, but we don’t want to rush him back.” The Blues will face an uphill battle in Game III, as they will need to win by at least 22 points to retain the Origin Shield. However, Fittler is confident that his team can get the job done. “We know it’s going to be a tough ask,” Fittler said. “But we’re not going to give up. We’re going to go out there and give it everything we’ve got.”Hilder Defends Unchanged NSW Team for Women’s State of Origin DeciderHilder Defends Unchanged NSW Team for Women’s State of Origin Decider NSW coach Kylie Hilder has stood by her decision to field an unchanged team for the decisive third match of the Women’s State of Origin series against Queensland. Despite suffering a narrow 11-10 defeat in Newcastle in the second game, Hilder believes no player from the starting lineup deserves to be axed. “We lost by one point,” Hilder explained. “We were on top of Queensland for most of the game, but it didn’t pan out that way with the result. Everyone performed well, there was no one that didn’t deserve to keep their spot.” NSW captain Kezie Apps echoed Hilder’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of consistency for the team. “It’s always hard when teams are chopping and changing all the time, or injuries happen,” Apps said. “We’re really lucky that we have an extended squad that anyone who popped in would be able to do the job.” The Sky Blues have avoided significant injuries throughout the inaugural three-match women’s series, with outside backs Jaime Chapman and Jess Sergis cleared to play in Townsville after battling leg issues in the second game. While acknowledging the team’s defensive strength, Hilder hinted at some tweaks in attack. “We probably didn’t execute a few times in attack and take opportunities, but you live and you learn,” she said. “We’ll tweak a few little things that we need to.” Despite the setback in the second game, NSW remains confident heading into the decider. “We’re really confident going into game three,” Hilder said.New South Wales coach Brad Fittler has defended his decision not to make any changes to his team for the State of Origin decider, saying “no one deserved to be dropped”. The Blues will field the same 17 that lost the series opener in Brisbane in Game Two in Sydney on Wednesday night. Fittler said he was happy with the team’s performance in Game One, despite the 18-14 loss, and said he believed they could turn things around in front of their home crowd. “I thought the boys played really well in Game One,” Fittler said. “We just need to be a bit more clinical in our attack and a bit more resilient in our defense. “I’m confident that we can do that and win the series.” The Blues will be looking to avoid a series defeat for the first time since 2015. Queensland has won the past two series, and will be looking to make it three in a row in front of their home crowd in Game Three.