Michael Maguire whacks critics amid NSW captaincy furore around ...

NSW coach Michael Maguire has defended Jake Trbojevic in the wake of backlash around the limited minutes the Blues skipper played in the State of Origin series. Trbojevic started Game 3 at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night and became just the third man to captain a NSW side to victory in a Queensland decider after his side's superb 14-4 win stopped the Maroons clinching a third straight series.

But the victorious Blues skipper has come under fire after playing just 23 minutes in the decider, where he ran for just 17 metres off three runs. Trbojevic was busy as always in defence though and made 15 tackles but his limited involvement has left many fans questioning his place in the side and role as captain.

NSW coach Michael Maguire has hit back at the criticism around Blues captain Jake Trbojevic's limited minutes in the State of Origin series. Pic: Getty

Trbojevic also played very few minutes in Game 1 after Joseph Suaalii's early send off and was again only used sparingly by Maguire in Game 2. The NSW coach has tended to use his skipper for the opening 20 minutes or so and then bring on Penrith's Isaah Yeo to act as on-field captain as Trbojevic spends the rest of the game sitting on the bench.

In all three games, fans have been left questioning why Maguire decided to make Trbojevic captain when he's not on the field for the majority of the game. And many have pointed out that Yeo is a three-time premiership winning captain at Penrith and has been playing far greater minutes for the Blues when he comes off the bench.

Jake Trbojevic's role is to just lead the team out onto the field and then come straight off.#Origin

— Rewster (@Rewster7) July 17, 2024

Despite some of the backlash against his skipper though, Maguire defended the decision to pick Trbojevic as his captain. And the Blues coach said what many people don't see is the impact the veteran Manly forward has on the playing group behind the scenes, his incredible work ethic and the way he's able to galvanise the team.

"People probably ask - I had a lot of you guys actually ask - about Jake being captain," Maguire said after Game 3. "It's the glue, it's the special parts in and around the team that people don't get to see. I wanted Jake as our captain because of his character, the players love him - they just had another special moment in there where they all cheered him. I felt Jake was the man that I wanted to run the team, so it was nice to see."

NSW Blues captain Jake Trbojevic lifts the State of Origin shield after his side's 14-4 win over the Maroons in Game 3. Pic: Getty

Trbojevic couldn't wipe the smile off his face after the game as he joined Blues greats Laurie Daley and Danny Buderus as the only NSW captains to win an Origin decider in Brisbane. The Blues skipper delivered a typically bubbly post-match victory speech before signing off with a fist pump as he walked off the stage. He told reporters later on that captaining the Blues to a series victory at Suncorp Stadium was the proudest moment of his career.

"Without a doubt, captaining the Blues to a series - especially up here [in Brisbane - it's definitely the highlight," Trbojevic said. "It feels pretty cool, I'm just really excited for everyone. It was a lot of hard work that went into this campaign and you've got to give credit to Madge and all the staff.

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"It's a real good life experience for us all and everyone bought into it. The way they went after the game today was impressive... they were just outstanding." As well as the impact Trbojevic had on the playing group, Maguire was also quick to praise his playmakers Mitchell Moses and Jerome Luai, who were instrumental in the Game 2 and 3 victories that sealed the series.

"You've got players that know exactly what they need to do and those conversations are just at a different level," Maguire said. "I didn't do a whole lot of coaching towards the back end of this campaign because the players take over... that's what I believe you need to do at this level." Moses' starring role in the Games 2 and 3 victories for NSW came at a cost though, with the halfback suffering a ruptured bicep that looks set to rule him out for the remainder of the season for Parramatta.

with AAP