1995 State of Origin series
| 1995 State of Origin series | |
|---|---|
| Won by | Queensland (8th title) |
| Series margin | 3 - 0 |
| Points scored | 74 |
| Attendance | 133,024 (ave. 44,341 per match) |
| Top points scorer(s) |  Wayne Bartrim (16) |
| Top try scorer(s) | Brett Dallas (2) |
The 1995 State of Origin series was the 14th
Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett had originally been appointed as Queensland coach for 1995 taking over from Wally Lewis. He stepped down from the job, stating that Queensland would be uncompetitive without its Super League players. Paul Vautin, who had played 22 Origin games for Queensland between 1982 and 1990 (including two games as captain in the absence of Lewis), was brought in to replace him.
Game I
Unable to draw on the vast talents of the
Monday, 15 May 1995
|
 New South Wales
|
0–2 | Queensland
|
|---|---|---|
| (Report) |
Wayne Bartrim (2 - 1 g) |
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 39,841 Referee: Eddie Ward Player of the Match: Gary Larson |
After the first ever try-less State of Origin match, the Maroons left the ground having produced one of the biggest boilovers in rugby league history. A sole penalty goal to Maroons hooker Wayne Bartrim after 30 minutes was enough to see Vautin's unfancied Queensland team home 2–0. Referee Eddie Ward penalised Blues front rower Paul Harragon for a tackle on Gary Larson and Bartrim kicked the goal from 25 metres out. At the time it seemed a minor event but by game's end the goal had become pivotal.
New South Wales failed to capitalise on their chances, crossing the Queensland line twice. First winger Rod Wishart stepped into touch after taking a cross-field kick from Andrew Johns. Then in the second half, Blues centre Terry Hill was held up by Queensland debutante winger Matt Sing over the line with 17 minutes to play. It was the lowest ever score in a representative game in Australia, yet still a compelling spectacle as the underdog Maroons repelled the New South Wales attack time and time again.
From this match came a moment for the annals of Origin tradition when broadcast sound and vision captured the indelible image of Maroons lock Billy Moore exiting the Sydney Football Stadium tunnel after half-time chanting the Maroons' war cry "Queenslander" over and over to exhort his team-mates.
Game II
Wednesday, 31 May 1995
|
Queensland
|
20–12 | New South Wales
|
|---|---|---|
| (8 - 4 g) Wayne Bartrim (4 - 1 t) Mark Coyne (4 - 1 t) Brett Dallas (4 - 1 t) Adrian Lam |
(Report) |
Brett Rodwell (4 - 1 t) Jim Serdaris (4 - 1 t) Rod Wishart (4 - 2 g) |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Attendance: 52,994 Referee: Eddie Ward Player of the Match: Jason Smith |
Going into the second game, Qld suffered a blow when Dale Shearer, their most experienced player (having played 25 games since making his Origin debut in
Rumours of an all-in brawl that had circulated before Game II at the
Queensland had the run of play and again shocked their highly fancied rivals by racing to an 8–0 lead on the back of a Mark Coyne try and two goals from Wayne Bartrim. Blues captain Brad Fittler worked hard to lift his troops but again he found his team out enthused by Paul Vautin's patched-together but spirited combination.
With five minutes remaining, Jim Serdaris scored a converted try to close the gap to 14-12 and the Blues began a final wave of attack. Steve Menzies then came within inches of scoring the match winner but was held up, and then Fittler threw what appeared to be the match winning pass to a try-bound Tim Brasher. However referee Ward ruled the pass forward. As they dropped their guard, flying Queensland winger Brett Dallas caught them out in the dying seconds and ran 90 metres from dummy-half, easily out pacing Hopoate, Brasher and Rod Wishart coming across in cover, to score under the posts and seal the series with a 20–12 victory to give Qld what many believe to be the biggest boilover in Origin history.[4]
Game III
Monday, 12 June 1995
|
Queensland
|
24–16 | New South Wales
|
|---|---|---|
| (8 - 4 g) Wayne Bartrim (4 - 1 t) Brett Dallas (4 - 1 t) Ben Ikin (4 - 1 t) Danny Moore (4 - 1 t) Jason Smith |
(Report) |
Rod Wishart (8 - 1 t, 2 g) Tim Brasher (4 - 1 t) Adam Muir (4 - 1 t) |
Experts were still favouring a New South Wales win in game III, but again they were proved wrong in a match that lived up to Origin expectations. Manly captain Geoff Toovey was called into the NSW side after injury kept him out of the first two games of the series. The chances of popular Maroons' captain Trevor Gillmeister playing in the final game had looked impossible - he had been admitted to hospital with an infected knee and placed on an intravenous drip. In an inspiring gesture that underlined the ferocity of feeling in the side he signed himself out to take his place in the team.[5]
The two combatants punched and counter-punched before a late try to the previously unheralded
Many considered Queensland lucky to play the last 52 minutes of the match with a full team after prop forward Tony Hearn appeared to headbutt NSW prop Mark Carroll in the 28th minute. In retaliation Carroll started throwing punches at Hearn which led to another all in brawl. Remarkably, referee David Manson only put Hearn on report and then penalised Carroll for the use of a forearm while tackling Hearn and awarded a penalty to Qld.[6] Hearn was later suspended for 8 games by the ARL judiciary as a result of his headbutt. After his performances for Qld in the first two games, the front row forward from North Sydney had allegedly been in line for an Australian test jumper before his suspension.
After the game, Gillmeister returned to hospital to continue treatment on his knee.[7]
New South Wales teams
| Position | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fullback |  Tim Brasher
| |||||
| Wing |  Rod Wishart
| |||||
| Centre |  Terry Hill
| |||||
| Centre | Paul McGregor
| |||||
| Wing | Craig Hancock
|
John Hopoate
|
 David Hall
| |||
| Five-Eighth |  Matthew Johns
|
 Brad Fittler (c)
|
Matthew Johns
| |||
| Halfback | Andrew Johns
|
Geoff Toovey
| ||||
| Prop | Paul Harragon
| |||||
| Hooker |  Jim Serdaris
| |||||
| Prop | Mark Carroll
|
 Dean Pay
|
Mark Carroll
| |||
| Second Row |  Brad Mackay
|
Greg Florimo
|
Adam Muir
| |||
| Second Row | Steve Menzies
|
 David Barnhill
|
Steve Menzies
| |||
| Lock | Brad Fittler (c)
|
Brad Mackay
|
Brad Fittler (c)
| |||
| Interchange | Greg Florimo
|
Brett Rodwell
|
Greg Florimo
| |||
| Interchange | David Fairleigh
| |||||
| Interchange | Matt Seers
|
Steve Menzies
|
Matt Seers
| |||
| Interchange | Adam Muir
|
David Barnhill
| ||||
| Coach |  Phil Gould
| |||||
Queensland teams
| Position | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fullback | Robbie O'Davis
| ||
| Wing | Brett Dallas
| ||
| Centre | Mark Coyne
| ||
| Centre | Danny Moore
| ||
| Wing | Matt Sing
| ||
| Five-Eighth |  Dale Shearer
|
Jason Smith
| |
| Halfback | Adrian Lam
| ||
| Prop | Tony Hearn
| ||
| Hooker | Wayne Bartrim
| ||
| Prop |  Gavin Allen
| ||
| Second Row | Trevor Gillmeister (c)
| ||
| Second Row | Gary Larson
| ||
| Lock | Billy Moore
| ||
| Interchange |  Ben Ikin
| ||
| Interchange | Terry Cook
| ||
| Interchange | Mark Hohn
| ||
| Interchange | Craig Teevan
| ||
| Coach | Paul Vautin
| ||
See also
- 1995 ARL season
- 1995 Trans-Tasman Test series
- Super League War
References
- ISBN 9780702235368.
- ^ Prichard, Greg (15 June 2010). "Scandals, losing streaks, injuries but there's never been a lost cause". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
- ^ Classic 1995 Origin Brawl - EVERYONE VS EVERYONE melee
- ^ State of Origin 1995 Game 2 Bret Dallas Try @ 80 mins
- ISBN 9781741755602.
- ^ Hearn vs Carroll - Game 3, 1995
- ^ Steve Ricketts; Barry Dick; Paul Malone (23 May 2012). "The 30 greatest controversies in 30 years of State of Origin series". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
Sources
- Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition, News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney
- Chesterton, Ray (1996) Good as Gould, Ironbark, Sydney