1980 State of Origin game
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The 1980
The first two matches had been played under the existing residential selection rules - i.e. Blues players could only be sourced from clubs south of the border and the Maroons only from north of it before the single experimental match took place. This was often a source of angst for Queensland as the old state-of-residence rules had long seen some of Queensland's top players actually representing New South Wales as players could earn better money in the Sydney premiership thanks to clubs cashed up with
After a match involving intense all-in brawling, the Maroons won the first state of origin game 20–10.
Background
The first match of the annual best-of-three interstate series was played at Lang Park in Brisbane and won by NSW 35–3. In the second game at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney (described by Qld Halfback Wally Lewis as being played on a Tuesday night in front of two men and their dog, with the dog going home at half-time. The official paid attendance was just 1,368 compared to the 25,000 crowd for Game 1 in Brisbane), the Maroons put up more of a fight against a NSW side that was missing a number of players through injury, but were defeated again, this time 17–7. The first State of Origin game very nearly didn't go ahead in 1980. The Queenslanders had put in a spirited and much improved performance in the second game at Leichhardt Oval, with officials confirming that had they actually won the game then the third game of the series would have been played under the State of Residency rules and Origin as it has become might have died then and there. Queenslanders Kerry Boustead, Rod Reddy, Rod Morris, John Lang and Graham Quinn had actually played for NSW in the first two games of the 1980 Interstate series, with all bar Quinn being selected to represent Queensland in the Origin game.
Prior to the experimental match, the State of Origin concept was derided by the Sydney Media.
Former
Prior to the game getting the go ahead, the President of the
Queensland players such as captain-coach Arthur Beetson and
Match summary
The NSWRL demanded a neutral referee for the game. As a consequence, respected British referee Billy Thompson was flown from England to control the game. Queensland went into the game not having won a match since 1975. Before the game, QRL President McAuliffe entered the Maroons dressing room to make a personal plea to the players. He said: "The future of the game is in your hands. We have taken this bold step. If we are beaten we cannot retreat to any other position. We must win".
Tuesday, 8 July 1980[2] | Queensland | 20-10 | New South Wales | Lang Park, Brisbane | |
8:00pm |
Tries: Boustead Close Goals: Meninga 7/7 |
Report | Tries: Cronin 2/3 |
Attendance: 33,210[3] Referee: Billy Thompson Player of the Match: Chris Close |
In front of a capacity Lang Park crowd of 33,210, which included State of Origin's instigator, Senator
The first points scored in Origin Football was a penalty goal by heavyweight Queensland centre Mal Meninga - the first of seven goals from seven attempts he would kick in the match (on his 20th birthday no less), while New South Wales' winger Greg Brentnall had the honour of scoring the first try in State of Origin football following good lead up work by Kangaroos pair Graham Eadie and Mick Cronin. After an all-in brawl in the first half[5] and leading 9–5 at the break, Queensland took over the game and with Mal Meninga kicking 7/7 goals defeated NSW 20–10, the first time the Maroons had won a state game over NSW since 1975. Queensland centre Chris Close was the standout player from both sides, scoring a try in the second half and was a clear choice as Man of the Match. From a standing start, Close received the ball only 25m out from Meninga. He then simply accelerated through a big hole in the NSW defence and evaded fullback Graham Eadie to put the ball down next to the goal posts without a NSW player touching him.
Alan Clarkson, a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald wrote of the State of Origin experiment, "I was strongly against such a match, but last night's gripping clash showed that such a fixture would be a welcome addition to the League program."[6]
Although they had already represented Queensland in under the old residency rules, the win by the Maroons brought Queensland's new generation players such as heavyweight centres Chris Close and Mal Meninga, as well as lock forward
Teams
Of the twenty-six players taking the field in the first State of Origin match, twenty were selected from the
New South Wales
Position | Player | Club | |
---|---|---|---|
Fullback | Graham Eadie | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
| |
Wing | Chris Anderson
|
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | |
Centre | Mick Cronin | Parramatta Eels | |
Centre | Steve Rogers | Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | |
Wing | Greg Brentnall | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | |
Five-eighth | Alan Thompson | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
| |
Halfback | Tommy Raudonikis (c) | Newtown Jets | |
Prop | Gary Hambly | South Sydney Rabbitohs | |
Hooker | Steve Edge | Parramatta Eels | |
Prop | Craig Young | St. George Dragons | |
Second Row | Bob Cooper | Western Suburbs Magpies | |
Second Row | Graeme Wynn | St. George Dragons | |
Lock | Jim Leis | Western Suburbs Magpies | |
Reserve | Robert Stone | St. George Dragons | |
Reserve | Steve Martin | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
| |
Coach | Ted Glossop | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
Queensland
With Queenslanders playing for New South Welsh clubs now available for selection, seven of the Maroons' starting thirteen were selected from Sydney clubs.
Position | Player | Club | |
---|---|---|---|
Fullback | Colin Scott | Eastern Suburbs Tigers
| |
Wing | Kerry Boustead | Eastern Suburbs Roosters
| |
Centre | Mal Meninga | Southern Suburbs Magpies | |
Centre | Chris Close | Redcliffe Dolphins | |
Wing | Brad Backer | Eastern Suburbs Tigers
| |
Five-eighth | Alan Smith
|
North Sydney Bears | |
Halfback | Greg Oliphant | Balmain Tigers | |
Prop | Rod Morris | Balmain Tigers | |
Hooker | John Lang | Eastern Suburbs Roosters
| |
Prop | Arthur Beetson (c) | Parramatta Eels | |
Second Row | Rohan Hancock | Toowoomba Clydesdales
| |
Second Row | Rod Reddy | St. George Dragons | |
Lock | Wally Lewis | Fortitude Valley Diehards | |
Reserve | Norm Carr* | Western Suburbs Panthers
| |
Reserve | Bruce Astill* | Southern Suburbs Magpies | |
Coach | John McDonald |
* Did not play[7]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Curran, Brian (1 July 1980). "What a confounded state to be in!". The Sydney Morning Herald. John Fairfax and Sons Ltd. p. 36. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
- ^ 1980 State of Origin game Archived 4 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine at nrlstats.com
- ^ State Of Origin - Game 1, 1980 Archived 8 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine at stats.rleague.com
- ISBN 1-86395-266-7. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-7022-3383-8.
- ^ Clarkson, Alan (10 July 1980). "Football lessons by Maroons". The Sydney Morning Herald. John Fairfax and Sons Ltd. p. 48. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
- ^ Ricketts, Steve (15 May 2008). "Lionel Morgan's SOS call: Sack our selectors". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
External links
- First State of Origin at eraofthebiff.com
- State of Origin 1980 at rugbyleagueproject.org
- Origin of Origin interview with Hugh Lunn