Woods rejects Gould's Blues criticism

Jul 21, 2017 - 2:27 AM Aaron Woods believes NSW can win a State of Origin series without overhauling their maligned culture.

The Blues forward has rejected former NSW coach Phil Gould's labelling of the team's set-up as "a dog's breakfast", and admitted such criticism was hard to take.

"It sucks, because he's (Gould) probably one of the best coaches NSW has had," Woods told reporters on Friday.

"It's disappointing but he hasn't been in the rooms. He doesn't know what's going on."

Woods and NSW fullback James Tedesco faced questions about the Blues' 11th Origin series loss in 12 years at a Wests Tigers press conference -- nine days after the 22-6 game-three defeat to Queensland in Brisbane.

The fallout intensified when details of a pub visit by Blues players Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson in the lead-up to the decider emerged this week, raising questions about culture and leadership.

Woods, on four occasions on Friday, insisted NSW would not be facing the harsh backlash had it put Queensland away when it had the chance in game two to clinch the series.

"If we had won game two, the last three minutes, I think it'd be a different tune we'd be hearing now," he said.

"People are just looking for nit-picky things to blow it all out of proportion.

"But as a group, we didn't perform in game three. So it wasn't good enough."

Penrith general manager Gould was scathing, saying he wouldn't want his club players involved with the Blues team because the environment and culture aren't good enough.

"The culture of this team is not right," Gould said in a Nine Network podcast on Thursday.

"It's been a dog's breakfast for a long time. We don't know what to expect from our NSW side other than disappointment."

Former Blues coaches Ricky Stuart and Craig Bellamy have also raised concerns about the team's preparation for game three.

But NSW Rugby League on Thursday released a statement clearing Dugan and Ferguson of any wrongdoing around the pub visit.

Tedesco agreed with Woods there was no problem with the team's culture or preparation.

"We just didn't turn up on the night," Tedesco said.

Source: AAP