LIVE: Feud erupts between Fittler, ex-Blues teammate

Blues manager Brad Fittler has deed retired astatine erstwhile New South Wales players who've been captious of his State of Origin camp.

But Ryan Girdler, who played with Fittler successful Blues sides successful the precocious 1990s and aboriginal 2000s, has fired backmost astatine the embattled NSW mentor, who mislaid his 2nd consecutive Origin bid this year.

"I find ex-players of New South Wales aren't ever generous with their opinions and their intentions," Fittler told ABC Grandstand.

"I find that truly crude and strange.

"I don't deliberation you'd ever spot that successful Queensland."

Girdler said erstwhile NSW players trod "a good line".

"Regardless of what comes crossed connected the media, oregon what we accidental arsenic pundits, erstwhile I get to that game, I'm each in. I conscionable privation the champion for New South Wales," Girdler told Triple M.

"Sometimes I consciousness similar an ex-player and a pundit — you tin conscionable springiness immoderate antithetic position to thing that mightn't beryllium capable to beryllium understood from successful those 4 walls.

"Obviously Freddy might've taken immoderate of the things that I've said implicit the past period successful a antagonistic fashion, but it was ne'er meant to beryllium negative.

"I'm definite if Freddy thought I was successful immoderate mode destabilising the situation he'd ringing maine to fto maine cognize due to the fact that helium knows maine good capable to cognize that surely wasn't my intention.

"But I conscionable saw immoderate things travel retired of the campy that didn't resonate with me, truthful I spoke astir it.

"It is my occupation and I instrumentality my occupation beauteous seriously."

Former Bulldogs and Dragons enforcer James Graham defended Girdler.

"The squad selections, particularly successful games 2 and three, did rise a batch of eyebrows, and it'd beryllium incorrect not to beryllium speaking astir them and questioning whether it was the close selection," said the erstwhile England international.

"The fallout from crippled 1 and Nicho Hynes lone getting 11 minutes and past what happened with (Stefano) Utoikamanu and past the determination successful crippled 3 to spell with 2 hookers but (Clint) Gutherson, arsenic well...

"These conversations were being had successful the surviving rooms, successful the WhatsApp groups, successful the pubs, successful the cafes each crossed New South Wales about, 'What's going connected here?'.

"We effort to springiness an opinion, and OK, ex-New South Wales players bash enactment their authorities undoubtedly ... but you can't contradict that these selections and tactics were going to origin debate."