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1984 State of Origin series: Difference between revisions

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Game II was played on a horribly cold and wet night that saw almost 30,000 cram into the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]], signalling that finally the New South Wales public had embraced the Origin concept. The mud, rain and tolerant eye of referee Barry Gomersall combined to form an explosive mix. Progress was arduous in the [[Sydney Cricket Ground|SCG]] quagmire and handling almost impossible.
Game II was played on a horribly cold and wet night that saw almost 30,000 cram into the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]], signalling that finally the New South Wales public had embraced the Origin concept. The mud, rain and tolerant eye of referee [[Barry Gomersall]] combined to form an explosive mix. Progress was arduous in the [[Sydney Cricket Ground|SCG]] quagmire and handling almost impossible.


Blues prop [[Steve Roach (rugby league)|Steve Roach]] triggered an all-in brawl in the second tackle of the match with players trading blows for more than a minute afterwards in three separate melees. The sight of [[Chris Close]], his jumper torn off, going blow-for-blow with New South Wales lock [[Ray Price (rugby footballer)|Ray Price]] became an enduring Origin image. When order was finally restored, Gomersall merely awarded a penalty against the Blues and allowed play to continue.
Blues prop [[Steve Roach (rugby league)|Steve Roach]] triggered an all-in brawl in the second tackle of the match with players trading blows for more than a minute afterwards in three separate melees. The sight of [[Chris Close]], his jumper torn off, going blow-for-blow with New South Wales lock [[Ray Price (rugby footballer)|Ray Price]] became an enduring Origin image. When order was finally restored, Gomersall merely awarded a penalty against the Blues and allowed play to continue.

Revision as of 08:33, 24 March 2012

1984 State of Origin series
Won by Queensland (3rd series title)
Series margin2-1
Points scored91
Attendance79,309 (ave. 26,436 per match)
Top points scorer(s) Ross Conlon (18)
Top try scorer(s) Kerry Boustead (4)

The 1984 State of Origin series was the 3rd annual series contested between the representative rugby league football teams of New South Wales and Queensland under "state of origin" selection rules. With Queensland wrapping up the series in the first two matches it produced the first dead-rubber finish and an infamous opening minute brawl in game II.


Game I

The New South Wales attitude to State of Origin had changed somewhat for the 1984 series, with the Blues squad being excused from their club duties the weekend prior to the first match and undergoing an intensive training camp, signalling the NSWRL's commitment to taking the series seriously.[1]

29 May[2]
Queensland 29–12 New South Wales
(12 - 3 t) Kerry Boustead
(4 - 1 t) Paul Vautin
(5 - 1 t, 1 fg) Wally Lewis
(4 - 1 t) Gene Miles
(4 - 2 g) Mal Meninga
(Report)
Ross Conlon (8 - 4 g)
Noel Cleal (4 - 1 t)
Lang Park
Attendance: 33,662
Referee: Kevin Roberts[3]
Player of the Match: Wally Lewis

Queensland were motivated by the announcement that New South Wales coach Frank Stanton had been appointed as Australian national coach for the upcoming Ashes series against Great Britain. Queensland's own coach and favoured Origin son, Arthur Beetson was being dumped in favour of Stanton and notwithstanding that Stanton was merely returning to the helm having previously steered the national side on two triumphant Kangaroo tours, the Maroons were keen to avenge the honour of Beetson.

The Maroons won the match 29-12 with Manly winger Kerry Boustead achieving the rare Origin honour of scoring three tries.

Game II

19 June[4]
Queensland 14–2 New South Wales
(4 - 1 t) Greg Dowling
(4 - 1 t) Gene Miles
(6 - 3 g) Mal Meninga
(Report)
Ross Conlon (2 - 1 g)
Sydney Cricket Ground
Attendance: 29,088
Referee: Barry Gomersall[5]
Player of the Match: Wally Lewis

Game II was played on a horribly cold and wet night that saw almost 30,000 cram into the Sydney Cricket Ground, signalling that finally the New South Wales public had embraced the Origin concept. The mud, rain and tolerant eye of referee Barry Gomersall combined to form an explosive mix. Progress was arduous in the SCG quagmire and handling almost impossible.

Blues prop Steve Roach triggered an all-in brawl in the second tackle of the match with players trading blows for more than a minute afterwards in three separate melees. The sight of Chris Close, his jumper torn off, going blow-for-blow with New South Wales lock Ray Price became an enduring Origin image. When order was finally restored, Gomersall merely awarded a penalty against the Blues and allowed play to continue.

Both sides dug in for a slogging defensive contest and not surprisingly, when Gomersall called a halt for half-time, neither side had scored. So bad were conditions, Blues second-rower Noel Cleal attempted a line drop out only for the ball to stick in the gluey mud and trickle a metre forward. The deadlock was only broken when Mal Meninga landed a penalty goal. shortly afterwardse Queensland prop Greg Dowling scored a memorable Origin try. Lewis had been peppering the New South wales line with his searching kicks and chipped ahead, aiming for the in-goal area. In a moment of good fortune for the Maroons the ball struck the cross-bar and Dowling who had been following through, took an extraordinary catch on his finger tips centimetres from the rain soaked ground and plunged across the line in a splash of mud to score and give Queensland an 8-0 lead.[6]

The Blues responded with a penalty goal to winger Ross Conlon reducing the Queensland lead to a converted try but when Maroon centre Gene Miles powered his way over the line from dummy half, the Queensland lead extended to 14-2 and there was no way back for the Blues.

Game III

With the series decided in Sydney, game III at Lang Park became a dead-rubber but was significant for the selection of Canterbury Bulldogs half-back Steve Mortimer as captain of New South Wales for the first time after Ray Price had elected to stand down from representative football following the third Ashes Test.

New South Wales selectors took the opportunity to blood a number of young players for the first time like Chris Mortimer, Pat Jarvis and Peter Wynn who along with Mortimer would play dominant roles in the Blues revival of 1985.

17 July[7]
New South Wales 22–12 Queensland
(10 - 5 g) Ross Conlon
(8 - 2 t) Brian Johnston
(4 - 1 t) Noel Cleal
(Report)
Kerry Boustead (4 - 1 t)
Bob Lindner (4 - 1 t)
Mal Meninga (4 - 2 g)
Lang Park
Attendance: 16,559
Referee: Kevin Roberts[8]
Player of the Match: Steve Mortimer

Mortimer inspired New South Wales to a 22-12 victory which avoided the embarrassment of a series whitewash and earned for himself the man of the match award.

Teams

New South Wales

Position Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
Fullback Garry Jack
Wing Eric Grothe, Sr. Steve Morris
Centre Steve Ella Andrew Farrar Chris Mortimer
Centre Brett Kenny Brian Johnston
Wing Ross Conlon
Five-Eighth Alan Thompson Terry Lamb Brett Kenny
Halfback Peter Sterling Steve Mortimer Steve Mortimer (c)
Prop Steve Roach
Hooker Rex Wright Royce Simmons
Prop Craig Young Peter Tunks Pat Jarvis
Second Row Noel Cleal
Second Row Wayne Pearce Chris Walsh
Lock Ray Price (c) Peter Wynn
Replacement Brian Hetherington Steve Ella Mick Potter
Replacement Pat Jarvis Peter Tunks
Coach Frank Stanton

Queensland

Position Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
Fullback Colin Scott
Wing Kerry Boustead John Ribot
Centre Mal Meninga Chris Close Mal Meninga
Centre Gene Miles Brett French
Wing Chris Close Mal Meninga Kerry Boustead
Five-Eighth Wally Lewis (c)
Halfback Mark Murray Ross Henrick
Prop Greg Dowling
Hooker Greg Conescu
Prop Dave Brown
Second Row Bryan Niebling Chris Phelan
Second Row Wally Fullerton-Smith
Lock Paul Vautin Bob Lindner
Replacement Brett French Bob Lindner Bob Kellaway
Replacement Bob Lindner Tony Currie
Coach Arthur Beetson

See also

Sources

  1. ^ Gallaway, Jack (2003). Origin: Rugby league's greatest contest 1980 - 2002. University of Queensland Press. pp. 50–51. ISBN 0702233838, 9780702233838. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ 1984 State of Origin game 1 at nrlstats.com
  3. ^ State Of Origin - Game 1, 1984 at stats.rleague.com
  4. ^ 1984 State of Origin game 2 at nrlstats.com
  5. ^ State Of Origin - Game 2, 1984 at stats.rleague.com
  6. ^ "State of Origin - 1980s". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia: Fairfax Digital. 2010-04-27. Retrieved 2010-04-27. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ 1984 State of Origin game 3 at nrlstats.com
  8. ^ State Of Origin - Game 3, 1984 at stats.rleague.com
  • Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition, News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney