The Greatest Year in Queensland Sport

Filed in Other by on May 22, 2011

State of Origin is nearly upon us, a time of year where a Queenslander cares not for anything sky blue (who wears pastel colours whilst playing sport anyway?) and reminisces about the great victories, the stirring comebacks, why it is great to be a Queenslander. My mind often turns to the great years in Queensland sport, many of which have come in the past three decades – but which one was the greatest? While there are many worthy contenders, this humble writer believes one year stands clearly above the rest.

Among the worthy modern era contenders to finish on the cutting room floor were:

  • 1980 (the inaugural State of Origin match, where Artie Beetson led a spirited Maroons side to a 20-10 victory);
  • 1988 (a 3-0 Queensland whitewash of State of Origin coupled with the introduction of the Brisbane Broncos into the NSWRL);
  • 1992 (the first premiership victory for the Broncos); and
  • 2006 (a Sheffield Shield* victory, the first in a run of Queensland State of Origin series victories and a sixth premiership for the Broncos).

A special mention should go out to our runner-up, a tremendous year in Queensland sport on multiple levels:

  • 2001 (a Sheffield Shield* victory, State of Origin victory inspired by Allan Langer returning from England and the first premiership victory for the Brisbane Lions)

* I refuse to acknowledge Pura’s involvement in desecrating a century-long tradition with the significant (both in stature and historical relevance) shield commissioned by Lord Sheffield being cast aside for a Pura Cup before sanity eventually prevailed. I will always call it the Sheffield Shield and all the free Pura milk in the world wouldn’t change my mind – back to the column.

However, there can only be one winner … drum roll while the envelope is opened….. 1995, take a bow.

There were a number of smaller-ticket items aiding the cause of the 1995 calendar year’s selection, including but not limited to the following:

  • The maiden appearance of the North Queensland Cowboys and the (now defunct) South Queensland Crushers in the expanded Australian Rugby League (ARL) competition;
  • The Queensland Reds winning the 1995 Super 10 rugby tournament; and
  • The Brisbane Bears making the AFL finals for the first time, albeit sneaking into eighth place with a 10-12 home and away record – their time of greatest success would rather ironically arrive subsequent to a merger with the relatively unsuccessful Fitzroy Lions franchise.

Small ticket items do not win you hypothetical awards though. Nor do they necessitate a hypothetical award as a flimsy segue for writing about the year that made me happiest as a Queenslander. This runs much deeper. It runs to a drought of almost seven decades ending in triumph and one of the more improbable underdog stories burnt into my memory.

Queensland entered the Sheffield Shield competition in the summer of 1926-27. Often the cellar dweller behind the stronger sides from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in their early years, results improved gradually over subsequent decades, yet the Shield itself remained elusive.

Entering the 1994-95 season, Queensland had finished in second place 14 times in all, including six failed attempts to win the final since the concept of such a final was introduced in 1982. The most heartbreaking were back-to-back final appearances in 1984-85 and 1985-86. The former resulted in a one-wicket victory to New South Wales as Carl Rackemann could not hold back the tears after a valiant performance of 6-54 proved not quite enough. The latter resulted in a draw, and Shield victory, for the hosts New South Wales as Queensland could not secure the final two wickets required for victory.

The ongoing Greek tragedy gave rise to a genre of jokes, the last of which was uttered by the South Australian captain Jamie Siddons on the eve of the final: "Queensland: beautiful one day, all out 75 the next." 

Over the recent years of the title drought, the Queensland team had made a habit of importing starts to help them win a Shield title, including Majid Khan, Viv Richards, Ian Botham and Graeme Hick. The 1994-95 season would be different – apart from a new name (the Bulls), the team was by and large ‘locally grown’, with young bucks such as Love, Hayden, Maher, Seccombe, Bichel and Kasprowicz joing forces with the experienced Barsby, Tazelaar and Rackemann. Paul Jackson was recruited from Victoria to bolster the spinning ranks. But the coup de grace was unquestionably a full season from Allan Border, who had retired from international cricket in May 1994 and had one quest at domestic level which was yet to be fulfilled.

The season began in promising fashion for the Bulls, posting wins against South Australia and Victoria from their first three games. A loss to New South Wales in Sydney was followed by a strong victory against Western Australia in Perth, meaning that Queensland had amassed 20 competition points by midway through the season and staked their claim as the team to beat.

The return match against Western Australia was significant, both in the context of the season and on a personal front – as a 14-year old on a holiday in Brisbane, I went along to the final day with my then 11-year old brother in tow. The stage was set for a gripping final day – WA 214 and 234, Qld 204 and surviving the brief period to stumps on the third day with all ten wickets in hand. Despite the pitch still offering plenty for bowlers, the Bulls had progressed to 1-77 after drinks in the first session. Everything after that was a calamity – nine wickets fell for just 45 runs as the collapse ended shortly after lunch with the fourth innings total sitting at a paltry 122. As a young fan who had grown accustomed to Queensland cricket sides wilting at the critical moments of many a Sheffield Shield season, the signs were ominous.

Fortunately, the repair job was swift – wins over New South Wales and Victoria saw the Bulls six competition points clear of nearest rivals South Australia with just two matches to go. Then as if on cue, more drama – South Australia defeated Queensland by an innings at Adelaide and trailed the Bulls on quotient (a ratio of batting and bowling averages used as the tiebreaker for teams tied on competition points) only with one match to go before the final. South Australia went on to win their final match of the season but Queensland followed suit with a comfortable win over Tasmania, and for the first time in Sheffield Shield history, the final would take place in Queensland.

Not only would home ground advantage be relevant, but so too would the rule that the host state wins the Shield in the event of a drawn game. The cards appeared to be stacked in favour of the Bulls for a change.

Living in Coffs Harbour (on the mid north coast of New South Wales) at the time, it was nigh on impossible to get a hold of scores throughout the days of the match – 1995 being before the internet era took any sort of meaningful stranglehold. Thank goodness for “Sports Tonight”, which at around 11pm on day one of the final told me that South Australia had been bowled out for 214 (after falling to 4-30 at one point in the opening session) and Queensland were 0-36 in reply. Still, as a Queensland cricket fan my stomach was clenched, waiting for the potential sucker punch that lay in store on the second day.

One of the longest days of my then-pubescent life ensued before 11pm rolled around on day two….. waiting….. waiting…. YEEESSSSSSSS! QUEENSLAND 3-409! THE SHIELD IS FINALLY COMING HOME! Veteran opener Trevor ‘Tank’ Barsby played the innings of his life en route to 151. When his stint was over, the story goes that former Queensland and Australia wicketkeeper John McLean burst into the dressing room and with tears in his eyes exclaimed: "You haven`t realised what you have done."

In many respects, the remaining three days acted as the coronation rather than an integral part of deciding the outcome. Day Three was marred by rain and saw Queensland advance to 4-501 and Martin Love depart for a fine 146. Day Four saw the remainder of the batting line-up come and go with a final total of 664 (including 98 from Allan Border before he dragged a wide delivery from medium pacer Ben Johnson back onto his stumps) and South Australia fall to 2-59, the task before them to claim the title an impossible one.

The final day saw a gritty century from Paul Nobes and a dashing 91 from Darren Webber, but ultimately only one moment will be eternal – Paul Jackson tossing one up outside off stump and attracting an aggressive stroke from Jason Gillespie, which succeeded only in finding a thickish top edge and lobbing harmlessly to Carl Rackemann at backward point. You could choke on the poetry of the man who had so bravely spearheaded a near miss for Queensland in March 1985 and been inconsolable afterwards being the man to pocket the catch that set off a jubilant riot.

This was also the one day where the updates from Brisbane came in a more timely fashion, courtesy of an after-school phone call from an old friend of my Dad. They had watched many a Queensland game on the hill at the Gabba in the 1960s, and the message to pass on to Dad was that his old mate Roger was sitting in that same spot at the Gabba right now and Queensland had just won their first ever Sheffield Shield. I assured him that I would pass on the message, hung up the phone and let fly with a series of sweeping, Tiger Woods-like fist pumps.

Five more triumphs would follow in the next 11 seasons. But isn’t it often the way that you remember your first of something – your first car, your first kiss, your first pay cheque, and so the list goes – more fondly? I will always remember March 28, 1995 and the first Queensland Sheffield Shield victory with the greatest of fondness.

This were looking rather more bleak a couple of months later when high school mate Daniel Cook asked me who would be fronting up for Queensland in the first State of Origin match of the series. The battle between the ARL and Super League factions had led to all Super League-affiliated players being ineligible for selection that year.

For New South Wales this was a setback, with the likes of Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart, Brad Clyde and John Cartwright out of the frame. Nonetheless, the side which fronted for the Blues was still well set for talent and experience at representative level. For Queensland the damage appeared terminal, with the entire Brisbane Broncos side (bar Gavin Allen, who had sided with the ARL and promptly been sent to reserve grade) and Australian hooker Steve Walters out of the running.

I hemmed and hawed before eventually responding to Daniel with: “well it'll definitely be Dallas and Sing on the wings, Mark Coyne will be one centre, the back row will be Moore, Gilly and Larson.. and…… umm…. I’m not too sure after that”.

The Queensland selectors threw a few curveballs in their selections for the opening game, not least the selection of career winger and fullback Dale Shearer at five-eighth and St George back rower Wayne Bartrim at hooker. A grey area in the rules also facilitated the selection of Papua New Guinea captain Adrian Lam at halfback for the Maroons.

For the record, the side for the opening clash was: Robbie O'Davis, Brett Dallas, Mark Coyne, Danny Moore, Matt Sing, Dale Shearer, Adrian Lam, Tony Hearn, Wayne Bartrim, Gavin Allen, Gary Larson, Trevor Gilmeister, Billy Moore. Interchange: Terry Cook, Mark Hohn, Ben Ikin, Craig Teevan.

Ben Ikin was another obscure selection – so obscure that as an 18-year old winger from the Gold Coast, coach Paul Vautin had to ask who Ikin was at the first team session. Bookmakers were unimpressed by the makeshift nature of the Queensland side and installed New South Wales as 9-to-1-on (or $1.11) favourites for the series.

But State of Origin is a funny beast, where games are determined by willpower and spirit as often as they are by skill and talent on paper. As Mark Coyne later said, “There was a fantastic spirit during the whole series. Paul Vautin did a terrific job as coach and brought the team together really well. We didn't do a lot of tactical stuff but there was a lot of team bonding. Because there was not much chance of us winning, Paul and Chris Close developed that culture really well”. During one of the sessions prior to Game One, Paul Vautin pulled out a spoof video used by Channel Nine to promote the 1994 series that featured Gary Larson in a fairytale and said “If you want to have a laugh at Gary that’s good as gold, but just keep listening to the words.” From all reports, no-one laughed and a few reached lump-in-the-throat status when towards the end of the tale the line came out “Do it for yourself, do it for your family, but most of all, do it for Queensland.” The Maroons were ready to square off against adversity and the naysayers as well as the Blues.

Game One at the Sydney Football Stadium was a tense encounter from wire to wire. Rod Wishart almost opened the NSW account after two minutes but collected the corner post while scrambling for an Andrew Johns cross kick. Shortly afterwards, Terry Hill was held up over the line by Matt Sing. Wayne Bartrim opened the scoring with a penalty kick late in the half and Queensland hit the sheds with a 2-nil lead. I was relieved that we had put on a strong first half but still felt the dam wall had to give way at some point.

Then something amazing happened. As he walked back down the corridor onto the ground for the second half, Billy Moore had eyes ablaze – he was screaming at the top of his voice “QUEENSLANDER! QUEENSLANDER!” Every New South Wales fan I spoke to the next day at school thought it was stupid and that Billy should be institutionalised. But Queenslanders are a funny bunch – watching it live, the first thought popping into my mind was “Holy crap, we can win this thing!” What followed was 40 of the most tense minutes of rugby league in my life – New South Wales brought wave after wave of attack, but the Queensland defensive line refused to yield and clung onto their 2-nil lead until the final siren. Gary Larson was the lynchpin of the tireless defence and a deserved Man of the Match.

The series ventured south to the MCG for the second game. Jason Smith had taken over the five-eighth role from Shearer but the remainder of the side was unchanged. Fights were prominent in the early going – the first scrum led to an all-in brawl, while later in the half Paul Harragon and Gavin Allen were sin-binned for another dust up. Queensland led 8-2 at the break, with the only try of the first half coming via Mark Coyne. Brett Rodwell scored for New South Wales in the 44th minute Bartrim answered with a penalty goal and in the 66th minute, Adrian Lam scored off a clever inside ball from Terry Cook to extend the Maroons lead to 14-6. With five minutes to go, Jim Serdaris scored off a Brad Fittler inside ball to cut the margin to two and with two minutes left, Steve Menzies was held up over the line when it looked for all money like he’d score the go-ahead try. In the final minute, referee Eddie Ward ruled a pass from Fittler to Tim Brasher as being forward, and from the turnover Brett Dallas raced 80 metres from dummy half to score an icing-on-the-cake try. Queensland 20, New South Wales 12. Jason Smith was named Man of the Match and Paul Vautin was lauded for engineering the most improbable series victory in Origin history.

The final match took place at ‘The Cauldron’ of Lang Park (Suncorp Stadium these days), and the Queensland faithful were in full voice, hoping for a clean-sweep in the series. An unchanged Maroons side drew first blood after 12 minutes when Jason Smith crossed the stripe, but a brilliant pass from Paul McGregor put Wishart over to lock the score at six. Wishart crossed again to give New South Wales the lead but from the kick-off an errant Fittler pass was snapped up by Queensland – Danny Moore stepped inside Brasher and went over to give Queensland a 12-10 lead at the half. Adam Muir scored moments into the second half to give the Blues the lead again, but in the 50th minute Robbie O’Davis made a withering burst up the field – from the play the ball Smith scooted out of dummy half, beat two defenders and put Dallas away for a try and an 18-16 Queensland lead. Late in the game, the synopsis was much as for Game One – New South Wales on almost perpetual attack, Queensland refusing to yield. In the dying minutes Ben Ikin picked off a loose pass and raced away to score the game-sealing try and a 24-16 final score line. Adrian Lam was named Man of the Match and Larson won the Wally Lewis Medal as the Queensland player of the series.

To focus on certain individuals too strongly would be to belittle what this group achieved though. On paper, this may have been the weakest team ever to front for an Origin series. Yet the old axiom of ‘the whole is more than the sum of the parts’ has never rung more true than for the 1995 playing group, and thus while the current era of Queensland sides is phenomenally talented and has brought me great happiness, they sit in a different place in my heart – not necessarily better or worse, just different. The 1995 side gets its own special place, primarily because of what they were able to achieve with what they had.

There have been many special years to be a Queensland sports fan, and here’s hoping there are many more to come. Right at this moment though, there is a clear holder of the title belt for the year that made me happiest to be a Queensland sports fan – 1995, thank you for a wonderful ride.

Thanks to Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac for use of the photo

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Comments (2)

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  1. Naggets says:

    Mate, as a 13 year old living in Brisbane in 1995, I was right in the thick of this.

    I remember listening to the radio at school on Day 1 of the Shield final when SA were falling apart and then being at the ground when the winning wicket was taken.

    Also, I was lucky enough to be a ball-boy at the 3rd Origin that year when the series was wrapped up 3-0. Being in the QLD rooms after that game was an experience I will never forget and I still have a Ben Ikin jersey from that series.

    Reading your article brought a tear to my eye – although i unfortunately no longer live in QLD, the pride never leaves and it surfaces at least 3 times a year – last night was just another chapter in our state's rich sporting history and we can all be proud to be Queenslanders.

    Great stuff.

    • Cliff Bingham says:

      Thank you for the kind words.

      This was the most enjoyable article to write I've ever done for Making the Nut and yes, it got dusty for just a moment when I was drafting the section about Day 2 of the Shield final – the 3/409 score line will always carry fond memories for me.

      I have to say though, I'd have killed to be in your shoes for the last day of the Shield or the 3rd Origin match. Hell, I'd have loved to go to a school where we could listen to the Shield final on the radio!