2001 State of Origin series

The 2001 State of Origin series was the 20th 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. The series was notable for marking the first time an England-based player was selected for State of Origin: Maroons legend Allan Langer was asked to make his comeback for the third and deciding match of the series and did so, helping Queensland re-claim the shield in Brisbane.[1]

2001 State of Origin series
Won by Queensland (10th title)
Series margin2-1
Points scored138
Attendance158,599 (ave. 52,866 per match)
Top points scorer(s) Darren Lockyer (34)
Top try scorer(s) Chris Walker (4)

Game I

edit

Queensland stalwart coach Wayne Bennett made it a personal mission to regain the great loss of credibility suffered from the 2000 series whitewash and 40 point last game defeat and decided he wanted his old Maroon coaching job back after a two-year sojourn.

Sunday, May 6, 2001
  Queensland 34–16   New South Wales
Darren Lockyer (14 - 1t,5g)
Darren Smith (4 - 1t)
John Buttigieg (4 - 1t)
John Doyle (4 - 1t)
Carl Webb (4 - 1t)
Chis Walker (4 - 1t)
(Report)
(4 - 2g) Michael De Vere
(4 - 1t) Matthew Gidley
(4 - 1t) Brad Fittler
(4 - 1t) Trent Barrett
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 38,909
Referee: Bill Harrigan
Player of the Match: Gorden Tallis

In game I Queensland blooded no less than ten new players[2] and Wayne Bennett gambled on the likes of Brisbane Broncos forward Carl Webb and North Queensland Cowboys John Buttigieg and John Doyle who were relative unknowns. But they each announced their representative arrival in dramatic style with a try each in the first game, won 34-16 by the Maroons in the last match played at the "old" Suncorp Stadium. The most spectacular was Webb's two minutes before half-time when he brushed off three defenders before powering his way across the line.

Game II

edit

Queensland went into game 2 without captain Gorden Tallis who was out with a neck injury.

Sunday, June 10, 2001
  New South Wales 26–8   Queensland
Brad Fittler (8 - 2t)
Ryan Girdler (6 - 3g)
Jamie Ainscough (4 - 1t)
Trent Barrett (4 - 1t)
Luke Ricketson (4 - 1t)
(Report)
(4 - 2g) Darren Lockyer
(4 - 1t) Chris Walker
Telstra Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 70,249
Referee: Bill Harrigan
Player of the Match: Trent Barrett

Played before 70,000 at Telstra Stadium, Blues skipper Brad Fittler scored two tries in what was to be his last match for NSW on home soil and inspired his side to a 26-8 victory. Man of the match was Trent Barrett playing halfback for the first time due to injuries to Brett Kimmorley and Andrew Johns. Debutante Mark O'Meley was particularly impressive, setting up Fittler's first try after 53 minutes with a smashing run that sent defenders skittling.

Game III

edit

The lead up to Game III was dominated by emotion regarding Brad Fittler's pending retirement from representative football after 29 Origin appearances. But with the series tied at one game apiece Queensland needed some special emotion of their own to avoid a loss. Without inspirational captain Tallis and an established halves pairing, coach Bennett undertook furtive negotiations with Maroon's veteran Allan Langer, then in his second English season and captain of the Warrington Wolves, and the rumours were only confirmed after Langer had boarded a plane (under a false name) for the flight home, bound for his 31st career Origin appearance.[3] At almost 35 years of age, Langer was named in his famous No.7 jersey for the first time since leaving Australia part-way through the 1999 NRL season.

Sunday, 1 July 2001
  Queensland 40–14[4]   New South Wales
Darren Lockyer (16 - 2t,4g)
Chris Walker (8 - 2t)
Paul Bowman (8 - 2t)
Allan Langer (4 - 1t)
Dane Carlaw (4 - 1t)
(Report)
(14 - 2t,3g) Ryan Girdler
ANZ Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 49,441
Referee: Bill Harrigan
Player of the Match: Darren Lockyer

Despite NSW centre Ryan Girdler scoring the fastest try in Origin history after 39 seconds, Queensland took a 28-8 lead into the break with Langer heavily involved in three of the Maroons' first half tries. Alongside Darren Lockyer who created his own form of havoc, Langer tore New South Wales to shreds and capped his comeback in the 54th minute when he scored a trademark solo try from close range to sentence the Blues to a series-deciding loss and Fittler to his own bittersweet representative farewell (although he would make a comeback three years later and help his state to a victory in his final year before retirement).

Sydney's The Daily Telegraph reacted to the New South Wales team's Origin loss with this headline on the front of its paper on July 2, 2001: "BLOODY ALF".[5]

New South Wales squad

edit
Position Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
Fullback   Mark Hughes
Wing   Jamie Ainscough
Centre   Michael De Vere   Ryan Girdler
Centre   Matt Gidley
Wing   Adam MacDougall
Five-Eighth   Brad Fittler (c)
Halfback   Brett Kimmorley   Trent Barrett   Brett Kimmorley
Prop   Jason Stevens
Hooker   Luke Priddis
Prop   Robbie Kearns   Mark O'Meley
Second Row   Bryan Fletcher
Second Row   Nathan Hindmarsh   Adam Muir
Lock   Jason Croker   Luke Ricketson   Andrew Ryan
Interchange   Trent Barrett   Craig Gower
Interchange   Michael Vella
Interchange   Ben Kennedy   Matt Adamson
Interchange   Rodney Howe   Andrew Ryan   Steve Menzies
Coach   Wayne Pearce

Queensland squad

edit
Position Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
Fullback   Darren Lockyer   Darren Lockyer (c)
Wing   Lote Tuqiri
Centre   Darren Smith   Chris Walker
Centre   Paul Bowman
Wing   Wendell Sailor
Five-Eighth   Daniel Wagon
Halfback   Paul Green   Allan Langer
Prop   Shane Webcke
Hooker   Kevin Campion   Paul Green
Prop   John Buttigieg   Russell Bawden   John Buttigieg
Second Row   Gorden Tallis (c)   Dane Carlaw   Brad Meyers
Second Row   Petero Civoniceva
Lock   Brad Meyers   Darren Smith
Interchange   Chris Walker   Kevin Campion
Interchange   Chris Beattie   Carl Webb
Interchange   Carl Webb   Dane Carlaw
Interchange   John Doyle   Nathan Fien   John Doyle
Coach   Wayne Bennett

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Roberts, Michael (2008). Great Australian Sporting Moments. Australia: The Miegunyah Press. ISBN 978-0-522-85547-0. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  2. ^ Prichard, Greg (15 June 2010). "Scandals, losing streaks, injuries but there's never been a lost cause". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
  3. ^ Crawley, Steve (25 June 2001). "Alf's back". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Digital. p. 21. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  4. ^ Barrow, Tim (6 July 2011). "State of Origin: The deciders". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  5. ^ Steve Ricketts; Barry Dick; Paul Malone (23 May 2012). "The 30 greatest controversies in 30 years of State of Origin series". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 26 May 2012.

Sources

edit
  • Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition, News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney