The Myths of Queensland

Origin is supposed to be all about Queensland. It’s all about their passion and their loyalty. Heading into Game 2 with NSW leading the series 1-0 for the first time since 2008 is a good time to have a look at some of these myths. 

Myth 1: Passion
Queensland believes they are more passionate than NSW and they don’t mid telling the world either. They are quite open in explaining that the difference at Origin level comes down to their pride and passion for the Maroon jersey and by association the absence of such feeling in NSW. As if they couldn’t quite remember why they were out there or what they were doing, they even developed their own catch cry to motivate them during battle. Creatively they came up with ‘Queenslander’ which was perhaps designed so that Adrian Lam and Brad Thorn wouldn’t break into a haka or Papua New Guinean war dance. The creativity and intelligence Queensland have come to be known for is reflected in their equally clever victory song which includes such great lines at ‘Yippee’.

Seriously though we could sit here and talk about how stupid Queenslanders are all day, but what fun is that? Queensland are always talking about how much they hate NSW and probably the rest of the world but it hasn’t stopped them backslapping and celebrating the exploits of a born and raised New South Welshman. I’m not going to go into the debate on whether or not the 2013 Clive Churchill medallist should be running out in a Marron jersey in a week’s time, the time for that has been and gone, but why don’t Queensland hate him? Here is a bloke born, raised and played footy in New South Wales until he moved to Brisbane to join up with Melbourne feeder team norths as a 17 year old. Yet every year ‘passionate’ Queenslanders dust of their ‘Inglis 4’ jerseys and join in with their ‘Queenslander’ chants. 

Hard to keep up with these Queenslanders isn’t it? I mean one minute they hate New South Welshman, next Greg Inglis is the greatest thing since XXXX. One minute Brad Thorn is a passionate Queenslander next he’s an All Black. Tonie Carroll was a Queenslander, a Kiwi and then a Queenslander again. Adrian Lam was a Queenslander until he was Papua New Guinea captain and then a Queenslander again. Either the state suffers from a terrible identify crisis or they’re just not passionate enough to turn away the turncoats. 

Despite losing seven straight series State of Origin has gone from strength to strength in NSW. If I can take you back to 2006 with Queensland on its knees and staring at four consecutive series defeats Origin in both states was on the way out. With no signs of a turnaround any time soon after NSW dominated the ANZAC Test side with 13 of the 17 players the talk was that the Origin concept had run its course. If NSW had won the third and deciding game that year people were saying Origin was finished. Dead. Kapoot! If two controversial video refereeing decisions had gone NSW’s way in that game we may very well be watching an Indigneous All Stars or Tri-Series tournament with New Zealand next week. Queensland’s revered passion for their state barely survived three consecutive series defeats. Meanwhile New South Wales’ continues to grow on the back of seven consecutive defeats with two sold out games at the 80,000 capacity ANZ Stadium and record T.V. ratings.

Beyond the ‘you pick Kiwi’s’ and ‘so do you’ arguments that have become quite tedious and repetitive over the years there are two clear examples that I immediately recall when thinking about Queensland’s ‘passion’. The first was Game 3 2009 when Steve Price was knocked senseless by Brett White and carried from the field on a stretcher. The issue here is without Sam Thaiday joining the scuffle as third man in to land a few trademark rabbit punches to the back of someone’s head, the Queenslanders in the vicinity of the brawl stood and watched, before doing all their ‘fighting’ from 20 m away with three officials between the sides. For years people have laughed at Ben Creagh backing away from Hodges but more significant than that was firstly Creagh was willing to come in and protect Kurt Gidley who Hodges had clearly cheap shotted and secondly the moment Hodges goes after Creagh three Blue jersey set upon Hodges. If Queensland had showed the same passion and commitment moments earlier Price wouldn’t have needed a stretcher.

The second incident was of course in Game 1 this year, when Paul Gallen put a left right combination on Nate Myles’ significant chin. Clearly Nate Myles, incidentally the onlooker in Steve Price’s ‘fight’, will have learnt that unlike tackling, when shaping up for a fight it is best not to leave your hands by your side and lead head first into contact. But not a single Queenslander sought Gallen out in the next half of football. No one even attempted to get square with Gallen illegally or legally for that matter. There was no racing out of the line looking for a big shot, not even a trademark dog-shot from a single Queenslander. They seemingly rolled over and submitted to the more physical Gallen led pack and for all the talk of Thurston’s poor game it was through the middle of the park that Queensland were beaten.

Myth 2: Loyalty
Just as often as we hear the ‘Queenslanders are more passionate’ line we are told how Queenslander are more loyal. Apparently Queensland are better at identifying State of Origin talent and ‘picking and sticking’ with those players. People point to the stability Queensland have shown over the last seven years as evidence of the loyalty Queensland players are afforded. But tell that to Ashley Harrison and Dave Shillington. Mainstays of the record breaking Queensland squad both were had particularly poor games in the series opener and have promptly been shown the door. No chance to make amends on home soil or leeway provided for their contributions to the greatest origin side of all time. Just a ‘don’t let the door hit you on the way out’ as another New Zealander is ushered into a Maroon jersey. Again that old passion chestnut means a little less when your staring at a 1 nil deficit and the in-form option needed weeks to decide if he was a Queenslander or not a mere six months ago. An isolated incident I hear you saying? Think again.

Consider this. In 2006, the first year of Queensland’s current winning streak Queensland named seven debutants in Game 1 and used 24 players across the three game series including five changes for each game. New South Wales used only 22 players in the series and making one enforced change for Game 2 and five changes for the decider. Queensland didn’t win the 2006 series, by sticking solid with the blokes that delivered them three losing series, in fact they tossed twelve Game 3 2005 players to the curb before Game 1 2006. Kind of makes a mockery of NSW continually striving for stability in a misguided attempt to emulate Queensland’s success. Stability happens naturally when you start winning, for both states.

Further examples of Queensland’s selection strategy include 10 debutants in Game 1 2001. In the 2001 series in which Queensland won back the Origin shield they made 10 changes from Game 3, 2000 in which they were humbled in the biggest origin defeat of all time. They won Game 1 and made minimal changes for Game 2, which they lost. Again they made a whopping 10 changes for Game 3 and were victorious.

Even during their extended winning streak Queensland have been unable to demonstrate the revered loyalty they have somehow become known for. In 2008 they ignored 2004 players player Scott Prince to replace the injured Darren Lockyer at five eighth in Game 1 going instead with Karmichael Hunt. When that didn’t work out they moved Billy Slater from fullback to the bench to accommodate Hunt while prince was recalled. While players like Dave Taylor, Jacob Lillyman, Michael Crocker, Dallas Johnson, Carl Webb, Neville Costigan and now Shillington and Harrison have at various times found themselves in and out of favour at different times.

Queensland passion and loyalty is a myth. They are motivated by the same thing as NSW, success. If sacking a player will bring them closer to that goal they won’t and haven’t hesitated to do so in an instant. Over the years NSW have erred with many a reactive change between games, who can remember Gasnier at five eighth in 2006 to kick start Queenslands dominance? 

Here’s hoping that the lack of passion and loyalty shown in the selections of ‘am I a Queenslander or not’ Papalli and Daly Cherry Evans goes some of the way to New South Wales own era of State of Origin domination.