1992 State of Origin series

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1992 State of Origin series
Won by New South Wales colours.svg New South Wales  (4th title)
Series margin2 - 1
Points scored49
Attendance113,417 (ave. 37,806 per match)
Top points scorer(s) New South Wales colours.svg Rod Wishart (10 points)

The 1992 State of Origin series saw the 11th time that the annual three-game series between the New South Wales and Queensland representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under "state of origin" selection rules. It was the first year of involvement by New South Wales' most successful coach Phil Gould, who made only four player changes to the Blues squad during the series - one of these necessitated by the return from injury of champion play-maker Ricky Stuart. For the first time in thirteen years of Origin there was no involvement by Wally Lewis to inspire Queensland.

Contents

Games

Game I

Wednesday, 6 May 1992
New South Wales colours.svg New South Wales 14–6 Queensland colours.svg Queensland
(6 - 3 g) Rod Wishart
(4 - 1 t) Bradley Clyde
(4 - 1 t) Craig Salvatori
(Report)
Allan Langer (4 - 1 t)
Mal Meninga (2 - 1 g)
Sydney Football Stadium
Attendance: 40,039
Referee: David Manson
Player of the Match: Ben Elias

Game I was a battle of attrition with a high casualty rate. Blues hooker Benny Elias spent time in the blood bin after copping a head gash which needed 10 stitches to close, Queensland second-rower Gary Larson left the field on a stretcher and Maroons prop Steve Jackson suffered severe concussion early in the match.

The Blues scored first from a planned move designed by Gould to enable Blues lock Bradley Clyde to encounter Mal Meninga one-on-one. Gould was convinced that Meninga's reduced lateral movement across field in defence was a weakness in the Queensland side. [ citation needed ] He devised a move that would isolate Meninga and which led to Clyde easily standing up his Canberra teammate to score in the corner.

New South Wales' front-rowers Glenn Lazarus and Paul Harragon slowly began to take control of the rucks and after winger Rod Wishart kicked a penalty goal midway through the second half, replacement forward Craig Salvatori scored a crucial Blues try. In a match with so few scoring opportunities, the Blues' eight-point lead was sufficient to enable them to close out the match.

Clyde went off injured after scoring the first try and Laurie Daley knocked himself out in the in-goal just after half-time. Ben Elias returned in the second-half his face smeared with blood and a red-stained bandage around his head to take over as captain due to Daley's departure and to protect the Blues' lead. This led to one of Origin's enduring images when photographers and broadcast cameramen captured shots after the final siren of Elias' mother Barbara on the field and working around interviewers, mopping up the still flowing blood from her son's forehead as he spoke post-match. [ citation needed ]

Game II

Wednesday, 20 May 1992
Queensland colours.svg Queensland 5–4 New South Wales colours.svg New South Wales
(4 - 1 t) Billy Moore
(1 - 1 fg) Allan Langer
(Report)
Rod Wishart (4 - 2 g)
Lang Park
Attendance: 31,500
Referee: Bill Harrigan
Player of the Match: Bob Lindner

In game II, early in the match prop Martin Bella and five-eighth Peter Jackson were sent to the sin-bin for back-chatting referee Bill Harrigan and the Maroons were reduced to 11 men for ten minutes. A minute after Queensland were restored to their full complement, lock Billy Moore on debut, slipped through to score an unconverted try.

Two penalty goals to Rod Wishart levelled the scores before half time and as the minutes ticked by after the break it appeared the match was headed for the first draw in 35 Origin contests. It was wet and greasy in the second half and scoring chances were minimal with both sides maintaining impregnable defences. Ricky Stuart missed with two late attempts at field goal and then with just 66 seconds remaining, a complete lack of urgency from the Blues defensive line saw Queensland halfback Allan Langer land a wobbly field goal (the first of his career) from close range to steal a 5-4 victory for the home side.

Game III

Wednesday, 3 June 1992
New South Wales colours.svg New South Wales 16–4 Queensland colours.svg Queensland
(4 - 1 t) Ricky Stuart
(4 - 1 t) Andrew Ettingshausen
(4 - 1 t) John Cartwright
(4 - 2 g) Tim Brasher
(Report)
Mal Meninga (4 - 2 g)
Sydney Football Stadium
Attendance: 41,878
Referee: Eddie Ward
Player of the Match: Ricky Stuart

In the Game III decider of 1992 New South Wales led 4-2 at half-time when 21-year-old Balmain Tigers centre Tim Brasher replaced injured Blues winger Rod Wishart. [1] Brasher immediately injected his team with a shot of enthusiasm with a series of lightning bursts from dummy-half that helped build their momentum.

The first try was scored by Ricky Stuart who went over from a rehearsed move in the 14th minute. Blues fullback Andrew Ettingshausen next scored the try of the series midway through the second half following a Laurie Daley grubber-kick. It came after Elias went to the blind side from the play-the-ball, and passed to Daley who kicked. Centre Paul McGregor got to the ball first, stepped past a tackler and found Daley backing up, who gave the ball to Ettingshausen who scored for 8-4. Finally second-rower John Cartwright barged across the line from close range to open up a 16-4 lead.

Queensland's efforts to strike back in the final 10 minutes were thwarted by two desperate tackles from Brasher, the first on a runaway Mark Coyne and the second a stunning ball-and-all effort on Mal Meninga, who threatened to score in the dying minutes.

Teams

New South Wales

PositionGame 1Game 2Game 3
Fullback Cronulla colours.svg Andrew Ettingshausen
Wing Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Graham Mackay Brisbane colours.svg Chris Johns
Centre Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Brad Fittler
Centre Illawarra colours.svg Paul McGregor
Wing Illawarra colours.svg Rod Wishart
Five-Eighth Canberra colours.svg Laurie Daley (c)
Halfback Illawarra colours.svg John Simon Canberra colours.svg Ricky Stuart
Prop Brisbane colours.svg Glenn Lazarus
Hooker Balmain colours.svg Ben Elias
Prop Newcastle colours.svg Paul Harragon
Second Row Balmain colours.svg Paul Sironen
Second Row Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg John Cartwright
Lock Canberra colours.svg Bradley Clyde
Interchange Newcastle colours.svg Robbie McCormack Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Steve Carter Balmain colours.svg Tim Brasher
Interchange Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Craig Salvatori
Interchange St. George colours.svg Brad Mackay
Interchange Western Suburbs colours.svg David Gillespie
Coach Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Phil Gould

Queensland

PositionGame 1Game 2Game 3
Fullback Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Dale Shearer
Wing Brisbane colours.svg Michael Hancock
Centre Canberra colours.svg Mal Meninga (c)
Centre North Sydney colours.svg Peter Jackson St. George colours.svg Mark Coyne
Wing Brisbane colours.svg Willie Carne Newcastle colours.svg Adrian Brunker
Five-Eighth Brisbane colours.svg Kevin Walters North Sydney colours.svg Peter Jackson
Halfback Brisbane colours.svg Allan Langer
Prop Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Martin Bella
Hooker Canberra colours.svg Steve Walters
Prop Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Steve Jackson Brisbane colours.svg Gavin Allen
Second Row Western Suburbs colours.svg Bob Lindner Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Mike McLean
Second Row Brisbane colours.svg Trevor Gillmeister North Sydney colours.svg Gary Larson
Lock North Sydney colours.svg Gary Larson North Sydney colours.svg Billy Moore
Interchange St. George colours.svg Mark Coyne Brisbane colours.svg Kevin Walters
Interchange Canberra colours.svg Gary Coyne Brisbane colours.svg Trevor Gillmeister Canterbury colours.svg Darren Smith
Interchange Brisbane colours.svg Steve Renouf Canterbury colours.svg Darren Smith Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Steve Jackson
Interchange Brisbane colours.svg Gavin Allen Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Mike McLean Canberra colours.svg Gary Coyne
Coach Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Graham Lowe

See also

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References

  1. Barrow, Tim (6 July 2011). "State of Origin: The deciders". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 7 July 2011.

Sources