After engineering a State of Origin ambush, NSW coach Laurie Daley has delivered a scathing rebuke of his critics, suggesting there were “hidden agendas” that attempted to undermine his camp.

Daley – who was hammered publicly and privately about the Blues’ form through the first two games of the series – had the last laugh on Wednesday night as NSW secured a 30-12 victory at Suncorp Stadium.

It is just Daley’s second series win across his two stints as NSW coach.

Laurie Daley gets the ice water celebration treatment after NSW’s win. Photo: AAP

But Daley came out swinging.

“Some of the stuff that’s been written, gee, come on,” Daley said.

“Hopefully those blokes might have a decent look at themselves.

“It wasn’t about the last laugh, it was just about these blokes playing the best they possibly could.

“In particular, people who have a crack when they don’t even come to a training session, they won’t front up to press conferences, show some balls. Where are they now?”

Daley is uncontracted with the Blues beyond this year and didn’t indicate whether he would seek an extension with NSW Rugby League.

He did not reference any particular journalist by name or a specific story. But the most provocative coverage of  his coaching was in the days before Origin II, with claims that players were unmotivated by his pre-game speeches.

“I think it was unnecessary and there were hidden agendas. Sometimes, things are planted in the media too, so I’d love to know where that came from,” Daley said.

“When you’ve put a lot into a game and put a lot into trying to be the person you are and people attack you from an angle that you go, ‘wow, that’s why it probably ran’.”

Daley said he had not read any of the personal criticism about him but hinted that those close to him had been affected by the coverage.

“People would say, ‘Oh, mate, you OK?’. I don’t like it, but I accept it but other people will get affected by it,” he said.

“People write stories and do whatever they want, but you have got to be held accountable to some of your stories too, and I’ll read those stories.

“If things aren’t true, I’ll call them out, and then they can either explain that they made it up or they can explain where they got it from or they can hide behind ‘someone gave it to me’.”

Former Queensland Origin captain Cameron Smith was critical of the Bunker. Photo: Getty

‘Ripped off’: Bunker call controversy

The NRL has admitted to a bunker error in the lead-up to a late NSW try in the Blues’ State of Origin series-clinching win as Queensland great Cameron Smith questioned the technology’s future in the game.

After the Blues claimed the series 2-1 on Wednesday night, a furious Smith raised concerns as to whether Bradman Best’s breakaway try in the 57th minute should have been awarded.

As Queensland peppered the NSW line with a kick to the air, Jojo Fitita challenged Blues winger Jack Bostock to claim the ball.

Neither player could gather possession cleanly but replays appeared to show both players touched the ball before it fell forwards, away from the NSW line, and Best scooped it up.

If Bostock had got a touch to the ball, the try would have been denied for a knock-on.

The NRL relayed through the Nine Network’s commentary that a corner flag post camera had cleared Bostock of a knock-on.

But soon after full-time the NRL confirmed what most of Queensland thought it had seen.

“After reviewing all available angles, the bunker did not believe there was sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field decision,” a statement read.

“Upon detailed review after the match, the NRL believes that while it was an extremely tight decision, the ball appeared to be touched.”

That validated Smith’s earlier cynicism.

“If that’s touched his hand and it’s proved to have touched it, we need a serious review of the bunker,” the former Queensland captain said on Nine’s post-game show.

“I’m disappointed that Queensland lost. Would that have changed the result? Probably not. But it was at a pretty crucial point in the game.

“For the sake of the game, and I mean the NRL, the sport in general, I hope he hasn’t touched it.

“I really hope he hasn’t, but if he has, we need to sit down as a sport and make a decision on where we head with this bunker.

“We spent a lot of money on it. We put trust in people to sit in there and make the right decision.

“If we’re not going to make the right decision in the big games, in the big moments, flick it.”

Smith’s fellow Nine pundit Andrew Johns also had doubts about the decision to award a try but often was critical of slow-motion replays informing crucial calls.

“Show it in real time, and if it looks like a try, get on with it,” Johns said.

“But when I look at it, it does look like it gets a touch.”

On ABC radio, former Blues enforcer Luke Lewis said: “I can see his fingers move … I’m so glad it was passed as a try, but I think Queensland were ripped off”.

Queensland coach Billy Slater walks away after the Maroons’ dispiriting defeat. Photo: AAP

Maroons coach Billy Slater, who hadn’t viewed clear footage of the incident, said it was representative of a night when “things didn’t go our way”.

The hosts conceded three penalties to the Blues’ five and gave away four ruck infringements to the visitors’ three.

But a miffed Maroons captain Cameron Munster felt the need to speak to referee Ashley Klein at halftime.

“I had some questions around certain things … it was a frustration point in the heat of the moment, asking Ash some questions and he saw it a little bit differently,” Munster said.

—AAP