Origin Memories

[Big Pete]

100 games and we don't have a thread in which to reminisce? What is going on BHQ?

Just a thread to sit back and discuss some of our favourite memories from one of the best sporting rivalries in history.

I'll start from the very beginning (or at least for me!)

Origin I 2000
It's fair to say, as a newcomer I didn't quite understand the concept of representative football. Somehow, I was supposed to care about this team as much if not more than the Broncos? And something about being 16, playing your first game in Queensland, Steve Rogers, Interstate Rugby League, Artie Beetson, Adrian Lam...WHAT?!

I didn't think I'd ever get that into it, but I saw how much my folks cared about the Maroons and by the end of the game, I was hooked. It really felt like I was watching Professional Wrestling with the amount of drama taking place, with Harrigan making one of the most blatant referee blunders in the history of the sport. I couldn't believe it and to make matters worse, the guy sent my hero to the bin!

I wanted revenge and couldn't wait until Game II.

Origin II 2000
Turns out I had to go to some really lame school camp is the Wetlands, lame.

The extent of this memory was finding out over breakfast that Queensland lost and the series was over.

Origin III 2000
A nightmare. NSW were too good and my NSW supporting grandfather had a field day just giving it to me. I had never seen anything like it and honestly, haven't since. That was an amazing performance from the Blues and just utterly demoralising from a Queensland perspective.

Origin I 2001
Sweet victory at last!

Such a special game given it was the last at the old Lang Park and featured so many new faces but this also felt like the making of Lockyer as an immortal. For mine, Locky was a sensational talent with a touch of class that only the likes of Fittler, Girds and Kimmorley (seriously I thought the latter two were amazing players when I was 10) but this was the moment where he became legendary.

Also De Vere confirmed himself as one of my favourites by sabotaging NSW from the inside. Well in Chief!

Origin II 2001
Then we came crashing down with a thud.

It just didn't seem like the Maroons nights and despite another sensational performance from Locky who was perhaps even more courageous here than he was at Lang Park, the Maroons just seemed listless. The loss of Tallis really took it's toll on the side and I wondered if the victory in Game I was merely a mirage.

Origin III 2001
We are the champions!

Everything about this victory sounded like something out of a fairytale, with the old master returning to stake his rightful claim as a legend downing NSW comfortably.

I remember Girds scored early and thought we were in for a repeat and feared the worst. However, it wasn't long until Queensland took control of the match and just tore NSW apart.

Looking back, it wasn't THAT huge a shock since NSW lost their best player in Game II and were also without Joey but 11 year old me was hardly aware of that.

That was until after the Grand Final and it felt like 2002 was going to be bigger than ever. Queensland may have won, but the best player in the game had finally revealed themselves and he was hell-bent on taking the Shield off of the Maroons.

 

[Broncoman]

I was at the second game in 1999 in the pouring rain with mum and dad. I can remember Laurie smashing over under the posts and the roar of almost 90,000 people was insane.

Can't believe Queensland are going for 9 straight this year I can still remember 2005 like it was a few minutes ago. TBH though as a die-hard NSW bloke I've actually never been prouder as a person and as a NSW fan having lived through Queensland's remarkable run as opposed to the 3 straight beforehand. You need to experience the lowest points to enjoy and bask in the highest.

 

[CaptainHook]

Even though we lost the series, 2003 is one series I vividly remember. Game 1 was at the new Suncorp Stadium - the surface copped a lot of criticism with sand being everywhere. Game 1 was an epic. The Blues won 25-12 from memory but the game was much closer than that with it being 12-all for a while.

It was the game both Justin Hodges and Paul Bowman I think suffered season ending injuries. I thought the Maroons played well but the signs weren't good as Johns started to hit his stride and they beat us heavily, with him running rampart, in Game 2 to take the series. I remember Lockyer scored a good try for Queensland in Game 1 to lead and he pulled off an awesome tackle on Mick Devere by nailing him into touch.

The final game proved once and for all that there is no such thing as a dead rubber. There have only been 2 clean sweeps since 2000 is testament to that. The side that has the series wrapped up struggles to maintain the intensity and the losing side is desperate to salvage something. Qld really piled on the points to win 36-6. For some reason, 2003 really stands out for me. Dunno why.

 

[subsbligh]

Lots of good memories as a kid in the 90s, it was seriously the highlight of the year behind Christmas.

Game III, 2006

Stands out to me for a number of reasons. Qld had one or two victories over the prior few years but the Blues were clearly the better team over 2003, 2004, 2005 series. 2001 was the Langer miracle comeback/Bennett masterstroke. 2002, the edges were fraying but we got away with a drawn series on the bell.

Anyway, it had not been a great time as a Qld supporter.

Staring down the barrel of 4 series defeats in a row, the Qlders got off to a great start, Mogg scored from memory. 6-6 at halftime? Huge arm wrestle.

Early in the second half the Qlders looked to have nabbed a decisive Tony Carrol try - only to be denied by a typically horrendous video referee strip ruling (similar to the Hunt on Burgess penalty this year).

Two more BS tries put NSW up 14-6. I remember my sister's fuckhead boyfriend and NSW supporter of the time ruining my peaceful Origin family tradition with his typically fuckwit lair behaviour.

Tate scored off a brilliant Thurston show and go. 14-12. We're still in it.

Did we have enough to get home? Where would we find the points? Did we have the self-belief?

The ultimate clutch player finds something off a wayward pass.. QLD are in and home, Lockyer you legend!

There's a school of thought that had Hodgson not thrown that pass, Lockyer gets dropped, Qld re-shuffle and history is vastly different.

There is no bigger Origin moment IMO.

 

[Big Pete]

Origin 2002

Was sort of like the Empire Strikes back. Sure, Queensland pulled off a pretty incredible series win in 2001, but the Blues were about to welcome back Joey Johns and had brought in Gould (who can look like Palpatine on his off days) to mastermind a great Blues performance. He achieved that but it seemed like he put a lot of his marbles into that one game at Olympic Park. They played well that night NSW, but you got the sense that it was their best shot, Queensland still had plenty of improvement in them and they weren't going to receive the same rub of the green at ANZ Stadium.

I thought the Maroons basically responded the best way possible and would have racked up a similar score if it wasn't for the performance of 20 year old Justin Hodges who just had a nightmare of a debut. You had to feel for him that night, thrown into the deep end and just every instinct he had that night was wrong. Thankfully Tuqiri had a blinder and I thought the forwards put in a strong all-round effort to deny NSW the opportunity of sealing a series win.

It all set up for an amazing series decider which delivered. It's still my favourite game of all time and one of the most influential in modern times given it paved the way for golden point. I thought it was a very even contest, with the Maroons playing slightly better football but lacking the weapons that NSW had at their disposal. However, once Webby went over, NSW were well and truly on the back-foot and the game should have been over when Lockyer planted the ball down in one of the best efforts you'll ever see. Of course, it didn't work out that way and the match ended in a draw but everybody knew who the winners were that night. I find it petty how the Blues play it off as a draw and Tallis had to hold the shield with Johns. There was only one state celebrating that night and it sure wasn't the one dressed in Blue. But yeah, a phenominal match with so many different moments and stories - seeing Tallis mouth off to that section of the crowd with that disgusting and stupid sign about his mother was one of the most satisfying moments in Rugby League history.

Origin 2003
The big follow after all the hoopla in 2002 and I don't think there was a better stage than the refurbished Lang Park. Indeed, I think it stole the show and really gave the game an electric atmosphere that the players fed into and put in a fantastic performance filled with great moments. In the end, I just think the Blues had a better team. Queensland went into the game comparatively weaker than last year minus Tuqiri, Langer and despite the efforts of their replacements, they couldn't quite match the Blues on the occasion. Still a great game and worth a rewatch.

Meanwhile, the second game was a complete anti-climax. The Blues played well, Queensland were flat and they won comfortably. Phil Bailey clobbering Shane Webcke basically sums that entire game up for me.

Origin III was a silver lining. A great performance capped off by the emergence of a new generation of players in Smith, Hannay & Bowen. A fun consolation summed up by Gommersall's two thumbs up which suggested there was plenty of fight left in the Maroons after their listless effort last start.

Origin 2004
A strange series looking back on it. Both teams entered a little weak either due to injury or off-field behaviour so a lot of rookies were thrown into the mix, some played well, others didn't. Game 1 was a real war of attrition, NSW were reeling from the omissions of Mini & Gaz while Queensland had to adjust to life without Lockyer. It made for a pretty tense but ordinary game with a memorable finish which Blues fans will cherish while Maroons fans would consider deflating. It didn't feel right that Queensland had put forward such a full hearted effort and scored more tries, only to have it snatched like that.

Game II felt like a much bigger deal with the returns of Lockyer and Freddy into their respective sides and it delivered. Evenly poised right up until that play from Slater who had a sensational game on the wing. To this day, one of the best tries in Origin history and one of those moments that makes fans out of spectators. Blues were in it on the scoreboard, but mentally they were gone and Gus realised it when he walked up the tunnel before the game was over. I thought that was pretty poor from Gus. Every other game, Gus had no issue with reminding people that this was his team and he was going to celebrate as if he gave his body for 80 minutes but the moment it got tough, he was gone.

Was anybody's guess heading into Game III but it turned into a Blues massacre and Freddy got to bow out the right way. Outside of the opening exchanges, I didn't think the Blues were in it and thought their best opportunity would have come through Mini being binned, which should have happened but didn't. I thought the St. George connection was pretty strong here and they won them the game really. Was sort of like the Blues version of Alfie's return, except not as dramatic given it felt like Freddy had three bites of the cherry. It was also the final game of Gus' coaching career and in typical Gus fashion he basically used his team's performance to spearhead a rant against the media. I thought that was pretty crappy at the time, would be interested to see now if he had a bit of a point like Mal did in 2011.

 

[CaptainHook]

There's a school of thought that had Hodgson not thrown that pass, Lockyer gets dropped, Qld re-shuffle and history is vastly different.

There is no bigger Origin moment IMO.

Awesome post, subsbligh. Game 3 2006 was such a pivotal game in the history of Origin. Remember back then, winning four series in a row, as NSW was 10 minutes away from doing, was a staggering achievement. There was so much BS in the press about the validity of Origin - typical NSW crap. To think that Qld was the team to not only do it but double it is an amazing feat - probably in the history of sport.

As for Locky, I thought he did enough in Game 2 to show that he could deliver at this level. It's a tough call though as to what the fallout would have been. No doubt some players would have copped it for sure. Thank the gods it payed out the way it did.

 

[CaptainHook]

Was anybody's guess heading into Game III but it turned into a Blues massacre and Freddy got to bow out the right way.

Was sort of like the Blues version of Alfie's return, except not as dramatic given it felt like Freddy had three bites of the cherry.

Lol was about to say well he had three goes at it then I read till the end where you mentioned it- he was bound to get a proper farewell eventually.

 

[vertigo]

You need to experience the lowest points to enjoy and bask in the highest.

This is probably one thing NSW supporters have going for them, when they finally win a series they are going to go bonkers.

Game 2, 2008 was my first Origin, I just remember Inglis fucking steamrolling Gasnier & Cooper to set up Boyd in his debut game then making another break to set him up for his double. Was pretty much game over at 16-0 half time, all the NSW supporters in front of us who were crowing before the game were silent after that haha.

Prince's kick which bounced perfectly into Folau's hands was awesome, he was so far behind the kick but made it there with ease.

 

[Browny]

Apart from game 3 2006, I remember the game 3 when QLD were down to 14 players with a massively concussed Dallas Johnston.

NSW couldnt seal the deal until shortly before fulltime, typified the QLD spirit

 

[Super Freak]

Apart from game 3 2006, I remember the game 3 when QLD were down to 14 players with a massively concussed Dallas Johnston.

NSW couldnt seal the deal until shortly before fulltime, typified the QLD spirit

2007?

 

[Super Freak]

One of my favorite Origin moments was actually the piece of brilliance by Bell to hold up Cooper in Game 3, 2007.

Cooper was literally an inch away from scoring after receiving the ball from a Hoffman break, and Bell somehow managed to hold him up right before he was about to put the ball down.

It's in my top 3 of the best try savers of all time that I have seen.

I think it really showed how QLD play. They never give up.

Edit: My bad. It wasn't frrom a Hoffman break. It was from an offload by Brett Stewart.

 

[Kimlo]

2006 winning try to Lockyer... Will never forget that.

 

[Super Freak]

 

[morethanjack]

My origin memory probably has more to do with what was going on in my personal life at the time then the actual game. After being a league nut as a kid in the 90's my interest in the game dwindled in my teenage years as circumstances prevented me from playing and I was forced to pick up other hobbies.

Game 3, 2011.

Not long before game 1 this year it became evident that my mother was going to loose her battle with cancer, which had been prolonged for years at this point, but the though that she might make a miraculous recovery was seemingly gone. The first two games where a blur at the time as I saw them as an excuses to drink and to forget about what was going on. It was so strange to say goodbye to someone for roughly 2 months and spend every day in a hospital. Very depressing stuff.

Anyway, that is why game 3 sticks out so much in my mind. There was a lot of coverage building up to the 3rd game being another decider and Lockey's last so the family decided to drag a tv into my mothers hospital room and watch it together. It was a surreal experience as in the two last months we had with her, it was the only time that we felt like a normal family to me. Instead of the typical good byes and sadness, we had mum pretending she knew the rules and commenting on how thaiday is such a nice man. My brother, clutching his bottle of rum he had snuck in not quite content with the 24 points we put on they after 30 minutes (although they put 2 tries on us in the following 10 mins so may be he had reason to) and everyone being themselves and in good spirit. This 2 hour space of time has really resonated with me since.

Mum passed away a week later, and when I got back to Brisbane I bought my first ever Broncos membership and have been a season member since then. Origin has since brought with it fond memories and has become a pretty big blip on my calendar since. I regularly forget my birthday, but find myself counting down the days just to the team announcements at origin time.

Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be this long or depressing, more of a juxtaposition to others experiences with this event.

 

[Super Freak]

My origin memory probably has more to do with what was going on in my personal life at the time then the actual game. After being a league nut as a kid in the 90's my interest in the game dwindled in my teenage years as circumstances prevented me from playing and I was forced to pick up other hobbies.

Game 3, 2011.

Not long before game 1 this year it became evident that my mother was going to loose her battle with cancer, which had been prolonged for years at this point, but the though that she might make a miraculous recovery was seemingly gone. The first two games where a blur at the time as I saw them as an excuses to drink and to forget about what was going on. It was so strange to say goodbye to someone for roughly 2 months and spend every day in a hospital. Very depressing stuff.

Anyway, that is why game 3 sticks out so much in my mind. There was a lot of coverage building up to the 3rd game being another decider and Lockey's last so the family decided to drag a tv into my mothers hospital room and watch it together. It was a surreal experience as in the two last months we had with her, it was the only time that we felt like a normal family to me. Instead of the typical good byes and sadness, we had mum pretending she knew the rules and commenting on how thaiday is such a nice man. My brother, clutching his bottle of rum he had snuck in not quite content with the 24 points we put on they after 30 minutes (although they put 2 tries on us in the following 10 mins so may be he had reason to) and everyone being themselves and in good spirit. This 2 hour space of time has really resonated with me since.

Mum passed away a week later, and when I got back to Brisbane I bought my first ever Broncos membership and have been a season member since then. Origin has since brought with it fond memories and has become a pretty big blip on my calendar since. I regularly forget my birthday, but find myself counting down the days just to the team announcements at origin time.

Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be this long or depressing, more of a juxtaposition to others experiences with this event.

That was a great read, and a bloody good memory to have.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Super Freak]

Another great moment of mine, the field goal by Cooper Cronk in Game 3, 2012.

NSW had just got back into the game by leveling the scores, and they were starting to gain some momentum. Then Hodges and Myles step up with 2 good runs and gets the team in a good position to take the field goal and Cronk nails it from 40 out. What surprises me is how the NSW defense weren't rushing up as quickly as they should have. Perhaps they weren't expecting him to take a shot from that distance?

 

[vertigo]

Everyone was gassed with 5 to go, not surprised only one person tried to put pressure on him.

 

[Super Freak]