1993 State of Origin series

Last updated

1993 State of Origin series
Won by New South Wales colours.svg New South Wales  (5th title)
Series margin2 - 1
Points scored88
Attendance106,395 (ave. 35,465 per match)
Top points scorer(s) New South Wales colours.svg Rod Wishart (22)

The 1993 State of Origin series was the 12th year that the annual best-of-three series of rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was contested under 'state of origin' selection rules. Queensland's favourite son Wally Lewis returned as coach just two years after his retirement as a player.

Contents

Game I

New South Wales were playing their second series under Phil Gould. Queensland were coached for the first time by their Origin "King" Wally Lewis.

Monday, 3 May 1993
New South Wales colours.svg New South Wales 14–10 Queensland colours.svg Queensland
(10 - 1 t, 3 g) Rod Wishart
(4 - 1 t) Ricky Stuart
(Report)
Bob Lindner (4 - 1 t)
Willie Carne (4 - 1 t)
Mal Meninga (2 - 1 g)
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 33,000
Referee: Greg McCallum
Player of the Match: Ricky Stuart

An extraordinary defensive effort by New South Wales gave them the spoils in Game I. The Blues led 12–2 at half-time and then held on grimly in a dour second half repelling waves of Queensland attackers. At one stage in the second half, Queensland held the ball for 21 consecutive tackles within 10 metres of the Blues line, but never broke through. New South Wales in that half made an incredible 161 tackles and clung on for a 14–10 victory in an effort typified by one of their big-hearted forwards, Ian Roberts, who had to leave the field moments from the end suffering from exhaustion.

The Blues were inspired by Ricky Stuart and his Canberra halves partner Laurie Daley who overshadowed Brisbane halves duo Kevin Walters and Allan Langer.

Game II

Monday, 17 May 1993
New South Wales colours.svg New South Wales 16–12 Queensland colours.svg Queensland
(4 - 1 t Laurie Daley
(4 - 1 t) Brad Mackay
(8 - 1 t, 2 g) Rod Wishart
(Report)
Mal Meninga (4 - 1 t)
Kevin Walters (4 - 1 t)
Adrian Brunker (2 - 1 g)
Dale Shearer(2 - 1 g)
Sydney Football Stadium
Attendance: 41,895
Referee: Eddie Ward
Player of the Match: Tim Brasher

In game II the series could easily have been levelled but Queensland allowed a number of scoring opportunities to slip away. The Maroons led 6–0 at the break after captain Mal Meninga crashed over at the bell but missed at least three try-scoring chances in the first half. Willie Carne scored a fair try from a well planned and well executed cross-field kick by Allan Langer but referee Eddie Ward ruled Carne off-side. Television replays showed he wasn't. In the 30th minute Meninga passed to winger Adrian Brunker who was tackled short of the line after Meninga looked as if he might have scored himself. Four minutes later, Queensland fullback Dale Shearer inexplicably lost the ball in the in-goal area when he should have scored.

New South Wales came out inspired by the half-time words of Phil Gould and struck back promptly and with purpose. Laurie Daley scored early in the second half and lock Brad Mackay was over three minutes later after a Ricky Stuart clearing kick was touched in flight putting NSW on-side and allowing Brad Fittler to regain possession. From having been under pressure and looking as if a loss was imminent, the Blues had bounced back for a four-point lead at 10–6.

Rod Wishart scored again for the Blues before Kevin Walters brought the game back into the balance with a try five minutes from full-time. With time ticking away the Maroons refused to concede and another memorable Origin image was created when Meninga came charging out of his own quarter and raced 40 metres upfield before confronting Laurie Daley the sole New South Wales defender. It was a State of Origin moment frozen in time, captain on captain and the match result resting on the winner of the confrontation. It was the Canberra Raiders captain Meninga being chased by his team-mate and understudy Daley. It was the face of the future Australian Test captain chasing down the present. Meninga drew Daley in and passed to Mark Hohn in support, only to see the front-rower drop the ball as the hooter sounded and the Blues retained the trophy.

Game III

Monday, 31 May 1993
Queensland colours.svg Queensland 24–12 New South Wales colours.svg New South Wales
(8 - 2 t) Willie Carne
(4 - 1 t) Steve Walters
(4 - 1 t) Bob Lindner
(4 - 2 g) Mal Meninga
(4 - 2 g) Julian O'Neill
(Report)
Andrew Ettingshausen (4 - 1 t)
Paul Harragon (4 - 1 t)
Rod Wishart (4 - 1 t)
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 31,500
Referee: Greg McCallum
Player of the Match: Dale Shearer

Although Game III was a dead rubber both teams put on a sterling performance in front of a crowd of 31,500. A first-half brawl erupted when an early scrum broke up in the 23rd minute. Regular combatants and bitter rivals Steve Walters and Ben Elias clashed while Paul Harragon and Martin Bella stood trading blows. In the aftermath referee Greg McCallum sent all four to the sin bin.

While Maroons coach Lewis was able to take some consolation from the win, the night belonged to Queensland stalwart Bob Lindner who was playing his 25th and last Origin match and was farewelled by the Lang Park crowd.

New South Wales teams

PositionGame 1Game 2Game 3
Fullback Balmain colours.svg Tim Brasher
Wing Cronulla colours.svg Andrew Ettingshausen Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Graham Mackay
Centre Illawarra colours.svg Paul McGregor Cronulla colours.svg Andrew Ettingshausen
Centre Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Brad Fittler
Wing Illawarra colours.svg Rod Wishart
Five-Eighth Canberra colours.svg Laurie Daley (c)
Halfback Canberra colours.svg Ricky Stuart
Prop Brisbane colours.svg Glenn Lazarus
Hooker Balmain colours.svg Ben Elias Newcastle colours.svg Robbie McCormack Balmain colours.svg Ben Elias
Prop Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Ian Roberts North Sydney colours.svg David Fairleigh
Second Row Balmain colours.svg Paul Sironen
Second Row Newcastle colours.svg Paul Harragon
Lock St. George colours.svg Brad Mackay
Interchange North Sydney colours.svg David Fairleigh Western Suburbs colours.svg Terry Hill
Interchange Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Craig Salvatori Western Suburbs colours.svg David Gillespie
Interchange Canberra colours.svg Brett Mullins Canberra colours.svg Jason Croker St. George colours.svg Scott Gourley
Interchange Western Suburbs colours.svg Jason Taylor
Coach Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Phil Gould

Queensland teams

PositionGame 1Game 2Game 3
Fullback Canberra colours.svg Gary Belcher Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Dale Shearer
Wing Brisbane colours.svg Willie Carne Canterbury colours.svg Brett Dallas
Centre Canberra colours.svg Mal Meninga (c)
Centre Brisbane colours.svg Steve Renouf St. George colours.svg Mark Coyne
Wing Brisbane colours.svg Michael Hancock Newcastle colours.svg Adrian Brunker Brisbane colours.svg Willie Carne
Five-Eighth Brisbane colours.svg Kevin Walters Brisbane colours.svg Julian O'Neill
Halfback Brisbane colours.svg Allan Langer
Prop Canterbury colours.svg Martin Bella
Hooker Canberra colours.svg Steve Walters
Prop Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Steve Jackson Brisbane colours.svg Mark Hohn
Second Row Illawarra colours.svg Bob Lindner Brisbane colours.svg Trevor Gillmeister
Second Row North Sydney colours.svg Gary Larson
Lock North Sydney colours.svg Billy Moore Illawarra colours.svg Bob Lindner
Interchange St. George colours.svg Mark Coyne Brisbane colours.svg Julian O'Neill Brisbane colours.svg Kevin Walters
Interchange Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Dale Shearer Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Steve Jackson Canterbury colours.svg Darren Smith
Interchange Brisbane colours.svg Mark Hohn North Sydney colours.svg Billy Moore Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Steve Jackson
Interchange Brisbane colours.svg Andrew Gee Canterbury colours.svg Darren Smith North Sydney colours.svg Billy Moore
Coach Gold Coast Seagulls colours.svg Wally Lewis

See also

Sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mal Meninga</span> Australian rugby league football coach and former player

Malcolm Norman Meninga is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Australian national team and a former professional rugby league footballer. Meninga is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the game's history. He enjoyed a long career in both Australia and England, playing mainly as a goal-kicking centre. After retiring, Meninga has enjoyed success as a coach, and is currently the head coach of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurie Daley</span> Australian Rugby League personality

Laurie William Daley AM, also known by the nicknames of "Lozza" and "Loz", is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and a former player who played as a centre and five-eighth in the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland rugby league team</span> Representative rugby league team for Queensland, Australia

The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales in the State of Origin series. The team is currently coached by Billy Slater and captained by Daly Cherry-Evans, and is administered by the Queensland Rugby League. They play all of their home matches at Brisbane's Lang Park.

The 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the 18th and last Kangaroo Tour played in the conventional format, where the Australia national rugby league team played a number of matches against British and French clubs or provincial outfits, in additions to the Test matches. The outbreak of the Super League war in early 1995 meant that the next Kangaroo tour, set for 1998, never eventuated; although shortened, test only tours were staged in 2001 and 2003.

The 1997 State of Origin series was the 16th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. Like the 1995 State of Origin series, players from clubs aligned with Super League were not eligible for selection. Gone were established players Laurie Daley, Allan Langer, Ricky Stuart, Wendell Sailor, Glenn Lazarus, Bradley Clyde, Gorden Tallis and Kevin Walters - all representing their respective states in the newly invented Super League Tri-series.

The 1981 State of Origin game was the second such match between arch rivals Queensland and New South Wales to be played under State of Origin selection rules. Again it was played as the third game of an already-decided 3-game series. New South Wales' victories in the first two games under the "state of residency" selection rules were, however, the last matches of this kind to ever be played as the following year the Origin concept was fully embraced.

The 1996 State of Origin series saw the 15th time that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. This series saw the return to representative football of players who had signed with Super League, after a court decision had delayed the beginning of Super League until at least 2000. As a result, both teams were back to full strength, and a new record was set for the highest State of Origin crowd at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The 1994 State of Origin series saw the 13th year that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. Mark Coyne's completion of a miraculous team effort by Queensland to snatch victory in the dying seconds of Game I has become a featured moment in Origin folklore. In Game II a crowd of 87,000 flocked to the MCG setting a new Australian rugby league crowd record. In Game III New South Wales won their first ever Lang Park decider, spoiling Mal Meninga's farewell Origin match.

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.

The 1991 State of Origin series saw the tenth time the annual three-match State of Origin series between the New South Wales and Queensland representative rugby league teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. It was notable as Wally Lewis' farewell from Origin football and featured his half-time stoush with Mark Geyer in Game II which match culminated in Michael O'Connor's sensational match-winning sideline conversion in teeming rain.

The 1990 State of Origin series saw the ninth time that the annual three-game series between New South Wales and Queensland representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under "state of origin" selection rules. It was the first year that the Australian Rugby League took an Origin match to Melbourne to showcase the code in Victoria. New South Wales broke an eight-game losing streak in game I and took the series for the first time since 1986.

The 1989 State of Origin series was the eighth time the annual three-game series between New South Wales and Queensland was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. It was Queensland's second consecutive Origin clean-sweep and an unpleasant inauguration for New South Wales' new coach Jack Gibson who, along with a new captain in Gavin Miller and eight new players, was brought into a dramatically overhauled Blues side that had lost its five last State of Origin matches.

The 1987 State of Origin series saw the sixth time the annual three-match series between the New South Wales and Queensland representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'State of Origin' selection rules. It saw the emergence of new faces who would go on to become Origin legends, record crowds for all three matches, and an additional exhibition game played in Long Beach, California.

The 1988 State of Origin series was the seventh annual three-game series between the New South Wales and Queensland representative rugby league football teams to be contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. Queensland enjoyed their first ever 3–0 series whitewash, mirroring a feat New South Wales had first achieved two years earlier. The series produced an ugly and enduring Origin image when in Game II the parochial Queensland crowd showered the Lang Park playing arena with beer cans in protest at the sin-binning of their captain Wally Lewis.

The 2008 State of Origin series was the 27th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. At its commencement each side had won twelve Origin series with two series drawn.

The 1990 Kangaroo Tour was the seventeenth Kangaroo Tour, where the Australian national rugby league team travelled to Europe and played eighteen matches against British and French club and representative rugby league teams, in addition to three Test matches against Great Britain and two Tests against the French. It followed the tour of 1986 and the next was staged in 1994.

The 2010 State of Origin series was the 29th annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams played entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. For the second year in a row, a Queensland victory set a new record for consecutive State of Origin titles, reaching five. Queensland won all three matches, completing their first series white-wash since 1995.

The 2011 State of Origin series was the 30th annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams contested under "State of Origin" selection rules. For the third successive year a Queensland victory set a new record for consecutive State of Origin titles, reaching six. Game I was played in Brisbane, Game II in Sydney and Game III was again played in Brisbane. Game III was also Australia's most watched sports TV programme for the year 2011.

The 2013 State of Origin series was the 32nd time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. It was the first series to be administered by the Australian Rugby League Commission which was created in a major re-structure of the sport's administration in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 State of Origin series</span> Australian rugby league series

The 2014 State of Origin series was the 33rd time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams has been played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. It is the second series to be administered by the Australian Rugby League Commission which was created in a major restructure of the sport's administration in Australia.