REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN

Thursday, July 8, 2004

IT took three years but the Brad “Freddie” Fittler fairytale finally came true in front of a packed Sydney Telstra “Cauldron”.

That wasn’t enough to make the man who recalled him – Phil Gould – happy as he exploded in the media conference following the match.

Gould, who was retiring from coaching, went ballistic at the

coverage he received when he left the bench early in game two with his side behind.

“I don’t deserve the (expletive) s... you gave me,’’ the NSW coach ranted to the throng of shocked journalists.

“The s... you guys heaped on me for leaving that bench early.

“I was doing one of two things – either leaving early or getting an early start for this game.

“Well, you saw what happened tonight. You guys haven’t broken me in nine years

and you won’t break me now.’’

State of Origin dreams, so long the domain of Queensland, awoke for NSW as the Blues won the year’s series decider with an emphatic 36-14 blitz over an outgunned Maroons.

It gave Fittler, who had first retired from representative football with a dismal loss in 2001, the perfect curtain call.

He only returned in 2004 to answer Gould’s desperate SOS because of a staggering Blues injury toll.