1985 Rugby League State of Origin series
Encyclopedia
The 1985 State of Origin
series was the 6th annual series contested between New South Wales and Queensland. It was the year that New South Wales finally ended Queensland's siege of supremacy.
was ruled out of State of Origin due to a knee injury.
Heavy rain confronted the players at Lang Park when the teams took the filed for the opening match of the series, and it was thought players new to Origin football such as Michael O'Connor might struggle to cope with the conditions. However the former Wallaby displayed nerves of steel to complete one of Origin's most memorable debuts scoring two tries and kicking five goals to finish with all 18 of the Blue's points.
The relentless Blues defence led by Steve Roach, Pat Jarvis and Peter Wynn
continually repelled the Maroons and helped keep the Blues line intact for the first time at Origin level. Five-eighth Brett Kenny
earned wide praise for his efforts opposite Wally Lewis
who was subjected to merciless pressure for almost the entire match. New coach Terry Fearnley
and his captain Steve Mortimer
had plotted for months to uncover a secret factor that would bring an end to the Maroons' Origin stranglehold. The strategy was to heap pressure on Lewis, Queensland's five-eighth and playmaker and the Blues carried out the plan perfectly.
. The match was played on a knife's edge when after the Blues had taken a 12-0 lead with two tries after only 16 minutes, Queensland struck back in typical style and took a 14-12 lead despite having lost Bob Lindner
and Colin Scott
with serious injuries.
The New South Wales forwards relentlessly hurled themselves at the Queensland defence until cracks slowly began to appear. A penalty goal and then a sharply taken field-goal by O'Connor gave the Blues a 15-14 lead and then when Lewis attempted to level the scores with his own field-goal attempt eight minutes from the end, Mortimer flew from the ruck to charge down the kick.
It was the inspiration the Blues needed and when five-eighth Brett Kenny
dashed over for the decisive try a minute from fulltime, it sparked scenes of jubilation among the New South Wales players. Broadcast images that now form part of Origin folklore captured a rapturous Mortimer chaired from the field and then falling to the ground full of emotion and pride in the Blues' historic first series victory.
was also the Australian national coach and the match was played after the Australia v New Zealand
Test series that year. Fearnley had dropped four players, all of them Maroons after the second Test.
Queensland came out breathing fire and as the score mounted, late in the game Maroons forward Greg Dowling
, one of the players axed by Fearnley, left the field replaced and stopped by the Blues bench to give Fearnley a passionate serve and tirade of abuse. Following this event ARL officials would legislate that the national coach never be a serving Origin coach to avoid the possibility of such embarrassing scenes or the potential for claims of bias.
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
series was the 6th annual series contested between New South Wales and Queensland. It was the year that New South Wales finally ended Queensland's siege of supremacy.
Game I
Queensland centre Gene MilesGene Miles
Gene Miles is a retired Australian rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative centre, he played his club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership before joining the Brisbane Broncos whom he captained.-BRL:A...
was ruled out of State of Origin due to a knee injury.
Heavy rain confronted the players at Lang Park when the teams took the filed for the opening match of the series, and it was thought players new to Origin football such as Michael O'Connor might struggle to cope with the conditions. However the former Wallaby displayed nerves of steel to complete one of Origin's most memorable debuts scoring two tries and kicking five goals to finish with all 18 of the Blue's points.
The relentless Blues defence led by Steve Roach, Pat Jarvis and Peter Wynn
Peter Wynn
Peter Wynn is an Australian former professional rugby league player for the Parramatta Eels in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership competition. He is the younger brother of fellow rugby league player Graeme Wynn. His position of choice was in the second row...
continually repelled the Maroons and helped keep the Blues line intact for the first time at Origin level. Five-eighth Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4...
earned wide praise for his efforts opposite Wally Lewis
Wally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...
who was subjected to merciless pressure for almost the entire match. New coach Terry Fearnley
Terry Fearnley
Terry Fearnley is an Australian former rugby league footballer and later coach. He was a long serving member of the NSWRFL's Eastern Suburbs team & , playing 144 matches for them at a bleak period in that club's existence. Injury kept him out of the 1960 grand final, one of the few successful...
and his captain Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer OAM, , nicknamed Turvey after Turvey Park in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where he hailed from, is an Australian former rugby league halfback. Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown club record 272 first grade games between 1976–88. Mortimer's two younger brothers Peter and Chris...
had plotted for months to uncover a secret factor that would bring an end to the Maroons' Origin stranglehold. The strategy was to heap pressure on Lewis, Queensland's five-eighth and playmaker and the Blues carried out the plan perfectly.
Game II
With history possibly in the making a large New South Wales home crowd turned out in wet conditions at the Sydney Cricket GroundSydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. The match was played on a knife's edge when after the Blues had taken a 12-0 lead with two tries after only 16 minutes, Queensland struck back in typical style and took a 14-12 lead despite having lost Bob Lindner
Bob Lindner
Bob Lindner is a former Australian representative rugby league player and coach. He represented his country in the sport and is one of a handful of players to be man-of-the-match in State of Origin football more than once...
and Colin Scott
Colin Scott (rugby league)
Colin Scott is an Indigenous Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played the game at but could also play . Scott was also a back-up goal kicker for the teams he played with....
with serious injuries.
The New South Wales forwards relentlessly hurled themselves at the Queensland defence until cracks slowly began to appear. A penalty goal and then a sharply taken field-goal by O'Connor gave the Blues a 15-14 lead and then when Lewis attempted to level the scores with his own field-goal attempt eight minutes from the end, Mortimer flew from the ruck to charge down the kick.
It was the inspiration the Blues needed and when five-eighth Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4...
dashed over for the decisive try a minute from fulltime, it sparked scenes of jubilation among the New South Wales players. Broadcast images that now form part of Origin folklore captured a rapturous Mortimer chaired from the field and then falling to the ground full of emotion and pride in the Blues' historic first series victory.
Game III
Queensland took the field in Game III determined to avoid a whitewash but also smarting from a national selection controversy. Blues coach Terry FearnleyTerry Fearnley
Terry Fearnley is an Australian former rugby league footballer and later coach. He was a long serving member of the NSWRFL's Eastern Suburbs team & , playing 144 matches for them at a bleak period in that club's existence. Injury kept him out of the 1960 grand final, one of the few successful...
was also the Australian national coach and the match was played after the Australia v New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
Test series that year. Fearnley had dropped four players, all of them Maroons after the second Test.
Queensland came out breathing fire and as the score mounted, late in the game Maroons forward Greg Dowling
Greg Dowling
Gregory Dowling is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He represented both Australia and Queensland....
, one of the players axed by Fearnley, left the field replaced and stopped by the Blues bench to give Fearnley a passionate serve and tirade of abuse. Following this event ARL officials would legislate that the national coach never be a serving Origin coach to avoid the possibility of such embarrassing scenes or the potential for claims of bias.
New South Wales
| Position | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fullback | Garry Jack Garry Jack Garry Jack is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a representative in the Australian national team and star player with the Balmain Tigers. Jack was a for the Tigers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, under the captaincy of Wayne Pearce and the coaching of Warren Ryan... |
|||||||||
| Wing | Eric Grothe, Sr. Eric Grothe, Sr. Eric "Guru" Grothe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. A New South Wales and Australian representative winger, he played club football for the Parramatta Eels with whom he won four NSWRL premierships... |
|||||||||
| Centre | Michael O'Connor | |||||||||
| Centre | Chris Mortimer Chris Mortimer Chris Mortimer is an Australian former professional rugby league player for the Canterbury Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, New South Wales and for the Australian national side.... |
|||||||||
| Wing | John Ferguson | |||||||||
| Five-Eighth | Brett Kenny Brett Kenny Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4... |
|||||||||
| Halfback | Steve Mortimer Steve Mortimer Steve Mortimer OAM, , nicknamed Turvey after Turvey Park in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where he hailed from, is an Australian former rugby league halfback. Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown club record 272 first grade games between 1976–88. Mortimer's two younger brothers Peter and Chris... (c) |
Des Hasler Des Hasler Des Hasler is an Australian former professional rugby league player and current head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He played in 309 matches in a first-grade career spanning 16 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, with whom he won two premierships... |
||||||||
| Prop | Steve Roach | |||||||||
| Hooker | Ben Elias | |||||||||
| Prop | Pat Jarvis | |||||||||
| Second Row | Noel Cleal Noel Cleal Noel Harvey "Crusher" Cleal is an Australian former rugby league footballer who also had a successful coaching career... |
David Brooks David Brooks (rugby league) David Brooks is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A one-club man, Brooks played his entire first-grade career with the Balmain Tigers in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership... |
||||||||
| Second Row | Peter Wynn Peter Wynn Peter Wynn is an Australian former professional rugby league player for the Parramatta Eels in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership competition. He is the younger brother of fellow rugby league player Graeme Wynn. His position of choice was in the second row... |
|||||||||
| Lock | Wayne Pearce Wayne Pearce Wayne John Pearce OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. An athletic Lock Forward for the Balmain Tigers, he was affectionately known as 'Junior'... |
Wayne Pearce Wayne Pearce Wayne John Pearce OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. An athletic Lock Forward for the Balmain Tigers, he was affectionately known as 'Junior'... (c) |
||||||||
| Replacement | Steve Ella Steve Ella Steve Ella is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. He was a utility back for the Australian national team, playing in 4 Tests between 1983 and 1985... |
|||||||||
| Replacement | Peter Tunks Peter Tunks Peter Tunks is an Australian former rugby league player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Penrith Panthers, New South Wales and the Australian national side... |
Tony Rampling Tony Rampling Tony Rampling is a former professional rugby league player in the New South Wales Rugby League. During his career he played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs , Eastern Suburbs, Gold Coast Chargers, Salford City Reds and the Western Suburbs Magpies.... |
||||||||
| Coach |  Terry FearnleyTerry Fearnley Terry Fearnley is an Australian former rugby league footballer and later coach. He was a long serving member of the NSWRFL's Eastern Suburbs team & , playing 144 matches for them at a bleak period in that club's existence. Injury kept him out of the 1960 grand final, one of the few successful... |
|||||||||
Queensland
| Position | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fullback | Colin Scott Colin Scott (rugby league) Colin Scott is an Indigenous Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played the game at but could also play . Scott was also a back-up goal kicker for the teams he played with.... |
|||||
| Wing | John Ribot John Ribot John Ribot is an Australian sports administrator and former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. Once a Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative winger, Ribot was the 1980 NSWRFL season's top try-scorer... |
|||||
| Centre | Mal Meninga Mal Meninga Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century... |
|||||
| Centre | Chris Close Chris Close Christopher "Choppy" Close is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s, '80s and '90s. A robust three-quarter, he represented Australia internationally and Queensland in State of Origin, and played club football in Queensland and New South Wales... |
|||||
| Wing | Dale Shearer Dale Shearer Dale Shearer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative winger/fullback of Aboriginal heritage, he played club football in Queensland, New South Wales and England... |
|||||
| Five-Eighth | Wally Lewis Wally Lewis Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time... (c) |
|||||
| Halfback | Mark Murray Mark Murray (rugby league) Mark Murray is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He represented Australia in test matches and Queensland in the State of Origin. His position of choice was halfback... |
|||||
| Prop | Greg Dowling Greg Dowling Gregory Dowling is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He represented both Australia and Queensland.... |
|||||
| Hooker |  Greg ConescuGreg Conescu Greg "Turtle" Conescu is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative hooker, he played all of his club football in Queensland with Norths Devils Gladstone Brothers, Redcliffe and the Brisbane... |
|||||
| Prop |  Dave BrownDave Brown (rugby league footballer Easts Manly) Dave Brown, was an Australian rugby league player in the 1980s, playing for Brisbane Souths, Eastern Suburbs and Manly-Warringah. He also played ten State of Origin matches for Queensland, scoring one try.He ended up playing in the Western Australian league in Perth as Captain/Coach of the... |
|||||
| Second Row | Paul Vautin Paul Vautin Paul Vautin , is an Australian sports television personality and former rugby league footballer and coach. He currently hosts the NRL Footy Show and provides commentary for the Nine Network's coverage of rugby league matches... |
Ian French Ian French Ian French is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. He's the brother of fellow Queensland State of Origin player Brett French. While playing in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1985, French won the Rothmans Medal as player of the season... |
||||
| Second Row | Paul McCabe Paul McCabe Paul McCabe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played for several clubs as well as representing Queensland in the State of Origin. McCabe was also a member of the 1982 "Invincibles" Kangaroos side, playing in the third Test against Great Britain... |
Wally Fullerton-Smith | ||||
| Lock | Bob Lindner Bob Lindner Bob Lindner is a former Australian representative rugby league player and coach. He represented his country in the sport and is one of a handful of players to be man-of-the-match in State of Origin football more than once... |
Paul Vautin Paul Vautin Paul Vautin , is an Australian sports television personality and former rugby league footballer and coach. He currently hosts the NRL Footy Show and provides commentary for the Nine Network's coverage of rugby league matches... |
||||
| Replacement | Brett French Brett French Brett French is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. A Queensland State of Origin representative, he played club football in Brisbane, Sydney and the Gold Coast... |
Tony Currie | ||||
| Replacement | Ian French Ian French Ian French is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. He's the brother of fellow Queensland State of Origin player Brett French. While playing in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1985, French won the Rothmans Medal as player of the season... |
Cavill Heugh Cavill Heugh Cavill Heugh is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A prop forward, he played in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for Easts, winning the Rothmans Medal with them in 1984. The following year he made his State of Origin debut for the Maroons from the... |
||||
| Coach |  Des MorrisDes Morris Des Morris is an Australian former rugby league footballer, coach and administrator.He played club football in Queensland for the Booval Swifts and Eastern Suburbs club of the Brisbane Rugby League, and represented his state on fifteen occasions... |
|||||
Sources
- Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition, News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney
External links
- State of Origin 1985 at rugbyleagueproject.org