Monday Milestone: Origin
This Week in History:
1980, July 8
Queensland and New South Wales play the first State of Origin match at Lang Park.
What’s your favourite Origin moment?
State of Origin is the high watermark of rugby league in the world. It’s New South Wales and Queensland. It’s blue versus maroon over three matches per year. Sounds simple, but there’s nothing quite like Origin.
Celebrating the moment Big Artie ran out onto Lang Park in 1980, the Milestone ventures through the years examining the novelty that has grown to become the centrepiece of rugby league.
From Beetson hitting Mick Cronin in the very first State of Origin match in 1980, transcending club lines; to Wally Lewis hitting the crossbar with the ball landing in Greg Dowling’s hands to score in the mud in 1984; Steve Mortimer being chaired off, elated, following the first New South Wales series victory in 1985; the failed American experiment in 1987; Wally Lewis sinbinned for backchat in 1988 as XXXX beer cans littered the field; Lewis and Mark Geyer getting up in one another’s faces in 1991; Michael O’Connor converting for New South Wales from the sideline in the pouring rain that year to take Game 2; Ben Elias, being fussed over by his Mum as his head pisses out blood in 1992; Paul Harragon and Martin Bella trading blows in a classic Origin bout during Game 3, 1993; Ray Warren roaring, ‘That’s not a try, that’s a miracle!’ as Mark Coyne scored in the final minute of Game 1, 1994 to steal the match for Queensland; Billy Moore chanting “Queenslander” as they left the field in Game 2, 1995 – the code word had sparked an all-in brawl; Brett Dallas streaking away in Game 3, 1995 to secure an against-the-odds 3-0 series whitewash for the Maroons during Super League; Tommy Raudonikis ordering ‘Cattledog’ as coach when the 1997 series erupted in a flurry of fists; New South Wales putting on fifty points in 2000; Wayne Bennett sending an SOS to Allan “Alfie” Langer in Game Three of 2001 to deliver a series victory for Queensland; Gordon Tallis picking NSW fullback up by the scruff of the neck and dragging him across the sideline in Game 3, 2002; New South Wales centre Mick De Vere having a wound mended with a staple gun on the sideline in Game 3, 2003; Billy Slater chipping and chasing, turning Anthony Minichiello inside out for one of the great Origin tries in Game 2, 2004; Brett Kimmorley throwing an intercept pass to Queenslander Matt Bowen who sprinted away to score in golden point in Game 1, 2005; Andrew Johns returning from injury in Game 2 that year in one of the most mesmerising performances in history; Darren Lockyer racing away to score in Game 3, 2006 to end a New South Wales winning streak, and begin the current Queensland dynasty; Steve Price being knocked out by Brett White in Game 3, 2009; Cooper Cronk potting a field goal in Game 3, 2012 to make it an incredible seventh series straight, Paul Gallen landing a couple on Nate Myles in a “great Origin moment” in Game 1, 2013…
There’s nothing quite like Origin. What’s your favourite moment?
Milestone Five: Your favourite Origin moments
For something different this week – given readers of MTN seem to all love State of Origin – let us know which is your favourite Origin moment. Perhaps it’s one of these? Perhaps it’s not listed? Perhaps you have something better. Let’s create our own Milestone Five.
