STATE OF ORIGIN PUB AMMOWant to be the envy of your mates at the pub with just how knowledgeable you are about State of Origin? Bone up on these cool facts… - Between 1980 and 2001, Queensland’s Allan Langer was the most capped State of Origin player, playing in a record 34 Origin matches.
- In game three 2009, the first 8-point try in Origin history was awarded. Queensland halfback Johnathan Thurston was penalised for kicking Blues winger David Williams in the face as he was trying to ground the ball for a try. The refs awarded NSW an eight-point try. This meant that Kurt Gidley had two attempts at goal, one from where the ball was grounded and one in front of the goal posts. Both kicks were
converted.
- The first two players ever to be sent off during a State of Origin match were Maroons captain Gorden Tallis in 2000 for talking back to the ref, and Queensland’s Craig Greenhill in 1996 for a high tackle.
- Queensland Origin great Craig Greenhill had a small part in Conan the Barbarian, playing a young boy in Conan’s tribe.
At full time in game 3 of the 2009 series, only 23 players were left on the park. NSW Trent Waterhouse was sent off in the 77th minute of the game after trying to break up a fight between teammate Brett White and Maroon Steve Price that left Price unconscious. Queensland was awarded the penalty and kicked the ball straight to Kurt Gidley who was swamped in the tackle. Another fight erupted, and this time the Blues’ Ben Creagh and QLD’s Sam Thaiday were sin binned, leaving 23 players on the field. (pic below)
- NSW’s first Origin coach was Ted Glossop, who coached the side in 1980 and 1981 with no success. He got another shot at it in 1983 but ballsed it up again.
- The first ever New South Welshman to be awarded Man of the Match was Peter Sterling in Game 2, 1983 – the seventh ever Origin match.
- Twelve players in total made their Origin debut for NSW in the 2009 series. Terry Campese, Robbie Farah, Ben Creagh, Justin Poore, Michael Weyman, Michael Jennings and James McManus in game 1; David Williams, Glenn Stewart and Josh Morris in game 2; and in game 3, Michael Ennis was named as Hooker to replace Farah, while Canberra's Tom Learoyd-Lars made his debut as an interchange player.
Jarryd Hayne’s first try in game 1 of 2009 was disallowed after it was ruled his heel touched the sideline. After a long video referee deliberation, the try was controversially disallowed. (pic below)
- Between 1980 and 1997 only four Origin matches in total were played in Melbourne - one game in each series of 1990, 1994, 1995 and 1997.
- Three players shared the honours of being the leading try scorer in the 2009 series. Queensland’s Greg Inglis and New South Welshmen Ben Creagh and Jarryd Hayne all grabbed three each.
- The first State of Origin match to end in a draw was game 3 in 1999 at Suncorp Stadium. The final score was 10-10. It was 6-6 at half time.
In game one of 2009, the Brisbane Broncos were the best-represented team in Origin, with a total of 6 players. Peter Wallace was the halfback for NSW, while the other five players represented Queensland: Israel Folau on the wing, Justin Hodges at centre, Darren Lockyer at five eighth, Sam Thaiday in the second row, and Karmichael Hunt as an interchange player. (pic below)
- The first Origin match to go into golden point time was game 1 in 2004. The only two previous draws were in 1999 and 2002, both in Game 3, and due to the fact that golden point didn’t exist for Origin matches at the time, both draws saw Queensland retain the Origin shield as they had won in the year before (1998 and 2001).
- St George-Illawarra’s Shaun Timmins kicked the winning field goal for NSW in game 1 of 2004, in the 83rd minute, giving the cockroaches a 9-8 win. He was awarded man of the match.
- Not surprisingly, the only club out of the 16 clubs in the NRL not to have a player represented in game one of 2009 was the cellar-dwelling Cronulla Sharks. Shark Paul Gallen was chosen at lock for the first game, but withdrew because of injury.
-After “retiring” from Origin in 2001, on the request of NSW coach Phil Gould, Brad “Freddie” Fittler made a return to Origin in 2004. (pic below)
- The first two Origin captains were Tommy Raudonikis (NSW) and Arthur Beetson (QLD) in 1980.
- In game three of 2004, Brad Fittler charged down a Darren Lockyer kick and scored the final try under the posts in front of a thrilled home crowd at Telstra Stadium. The Blues won the series and both Fittler and NSW coach Phil Gould retired from representative football. It was the last year NSW won the series.
- In 2004, Cockroach Mark Gasnier was dropped from game one and two after indiscretions at a team bonding session. The “indiscretion” being the now infamous “fire up you sad c**t” text message he sent to a bewildered lady friend.
Origin round one kicks off tonight
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