The Origin of State of Origin

Our First Podcast

King Wally, the adopted boy from Sandgate, and Arthur Beetson

Almost everyone in Australia has got State of Origin Fever at the moment … but few people know how, or why, Origin started 44 years ago.

In 1980.

Most fans don’t even know that the Blues and the Maroons have been battling it out against each other annually for the last one hundred and fifteen years.

Since 1908!

Origin wasn’t needed at first because all the players lived in their own respective states.

But, by 1960, NSW rugby league clubs had become so rich from the introduction of poker machines that they bought Queensland’s best players.

Then they picked these men in their team.

So the Mighty Maroons were not only playing against the best Blues players … they were also playing against Queensland’s best players!

The result was that Queensland – with no poker machine riches – lost the inter-state series every year throughout the ’60s … mostly four matches to nil.

Then, an adopted child from Sandgate grew up and set out to break this dominance.

He tried everything, but throughout the 1970s the Maroons still lost every year.

A debating champion, he finally used his eloquence to get NSW to agree to give Queensland seven of their best players back for one match … because the Blues had already won the Series.

“The result will be the same anyway,” said the Sydney boss.

Being adopted, the debating champion knew the importance of home.

So he chose as captain a Queensland Aboriginal great playing in Sydney who answered: “I’m over the hill, I’m 35 years old, and I’ve broken every bone in my body.”

The man from Sandgate -- who had fought Rommel in Tobruk and the Japs in New Guinea -- answered: “I know that men will only follow if someone leads them.”

Against all predictions, against all odds, the Maroons won that first match … and it was such a feast that everyone in Australia demanded more.

The Maroons won every year for the first five years.

And the Blues wanted revenge………

This all meant a lot to me because I’d been going to these matches since I was a child and they were held at the Gabba near Annerley Junction.

So I became involved in the start of State of Origin.

In this podcast (35minutes) I tell you about it.