The 2004 State of Origin series was the 23rd 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.
| 2004 State of Origin series | |
|---|---|
| Won by |  New South Wales (11th title) |
| Series margin | 2–1 |
| Points scored | 107 |
| Attendance | 203,309 (ave. 67,770 per match) |
| Player of the series | Craig Fitzgibbon |
| Top points scorer(s) | Craig Fitzgibbon (20) |
| Top try scorer(s) |  Billy Slater (3) |
A pre-series Blues mobile phone scandal, Brad Fittler's comeback, a Golden point outcome in Game I and an extraordinary Billy Slater try showed that State of Origin's ability to create memorable football moments was as strong as ever after 25 years of the concept. The New South Wales' Game III victory saw a match-up in the respective cumulative tallies at 35 wins apiece, continuing a recurring trend where any push toward dominance by one side is soon countered by the other. The Ron McAuliffe Medal for Queensland player of the series was awarded to Steve Price.
Game I
editNew South Wales players Anthony Minichiello and Mark Gasnier were dropped following a drunken incident during the Blues' training camp when it was made public that Gasnier had left a lewd message on a female acquaintance's phone.[1]
Wednesday, 26 May 2004
|
| New South Wales
|
9–8 | Queensland
|
|---|---|---|
| Shaun Timmins (5 - 1t, 1fg) Craig Fitzgibbon (4 - 2g) |
(Report) |
(4 - 1t) Brent Tate (4 - 1t) Scott Prince |
Telstra Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 68,344 Referee: Sean Hampstead Player of the Match: Shaun Timmins[2] |
Game one featured the first ever Golden point decision in State of Origin football in the very first game where the ruling became available. With scores locked at 8-all and three minutes of extra time played, St George Illawarra Dragons player Shaun Timmins, who had returned to top-class and representative football against unlikely odds after two career-threatening knee injuries and operations, stepped up and kicked a 37-metre left-foot field goal to steal victory for New South Wales. Blues halfback Craig Gower had already missed three earlier field goal attempts, was struggling with a knee injury and was closely marked by Queensland at every kick opportunity so it was left to Timmins to create his own moment of Origin folklore.
Game II
editGame II had plenty of hype surrounding it after Blues coach Phil Gould coaxed Brad Fittler out of representative retirement to spearhead the Blues campaign. First game hero Timmins was missing through injury as was Gower and next choice half-backs Trent Barrett and Brett Kimmorley. This left Sydney Roosters number seven Brett Finch to make his Origin debut alongside his club captain Fittler at five-eighth.
Wednesday, 16 June 2004
|
| Queensland
|
22–18 | New South Wales
|
|---|---|---|
| Billy Slater (8 - 2t) Cameron Smith (4 - 2g) Dane Carlaw (4 - 1t) Willie Tonga (4 - 1t) Scott Prince (2 - 1g) |
(Report) |
(8 - 2t) Timana Tahu (6 - 3g) Craig Fitzgibbon (4 - 1t) Luke Rooney |
Suncorp Stadium proved to be a graveyard for the Blues thanks to one of the greatest Origin tries ever seen. 20-year-old Billy Slater, a former track work jockey who had burst onto the rugby league scene in 2003, stormed onto a Darren Lockyer grubber kick from halfway before chipping over the top of Blues fullback Anthony Minichiello, chasing, regathering and scoring in the same instant.[3]
Game III
editGould gambled by making six changes to the side which had played in game II.
Wednesday, 7 July 2004
|
| New South Wales
|
36–14 | Queensland
|
|---|---|---|
| Mark Gasnier (10 - 2t,1g) Craig Fitzgibbon (10- 5g) Anthony Minichiello (4 - 1t) Luke Rooney (4 - 1t) Brad Fittler (4 - 1t) Trent Barrett (4 - 1t) |
(Report) |
(6 - 3g) Cameron Smith (4 - 1t) Matt Bowen (4 - 1t) Billy Slater |
Telstra Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 82,487 Referee: Paul Simpkins Player of the Match: Craig Fitzgibbon |
In Game III, the Blues recalled Trent Barrett to the origin squad who along with Brad Fittler led the Blues to a big win over the Maroons. The match was also the swansong for Phil Gould, New South Wales' most successful Origin coach who had commenced his coaching association with Fittler 14 years earlier at the beginning of their respective coaching and playing careers.
Gould called on six St George Illawarra players for Game III. Debutant centres Mark Gasnier and Matt Cooper dominated on the fringes for the Blues and the class of Fittler and Barrett led them to an emphatic 36-14 victory. Fittler scored the last try in the match in his last ever match for the Blues to the delight of his team-mates.[4]
New South Wales squad
edit| Position | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fullback |  Ben Hornby
|
 Anthony Minichiello
| ||||
| Wing |  Luke Lewis
|
 Timana Tahu
|
Luke Lewis
| |||
| Centre |  Michael De Vere
|
Luke Lewis
|
Mark Gasnier
| |||
| Centre | Matt Gidley
|
Matt Cooper
| ||||
| Wing | Luke Rooney
| |||||
| Five-eighth | Shaun Timmins
|
Brad Fittler
| ||||
| Halfback | Craig Gower
|
Brett Finch
|
Trent Barrett
| |||
| Prop |  Ryan O'Hara
|
 Jason Stevens
|
Jason Ryles
| |||
| Hooker | Danny Buderus (c)
| |||||
| Prop |  Mark O'Meley
| |||||
| Second Row |  Nathan Hindmarsh
| |||||
| Second Row | Andrew Ryan
|
Craig Fitzgibbon
| ||||
| Lock | Craig Fitzgibbon
|
Shaun Timmins
| ||||
| Interchange | Craig Wing
| |||||
| Interchange | Trent Waterhouse
|
Ben Kennedy
| ||||
| Interchange | Brent Kite
| |||||
| Interchange | Willie Mason
| |||||
| Coach | Phil Gould
| |||||
Queensland squad
edit| Position | Game I | Game II | Game III | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fullback | Rhys Wesser
| |||||
| Wing | Justin Hodges
|
 Matt Sing
| ||||
| Centre | Paul Bowman
|
Brent Tate
| ||||
| Centre | Brent Tate
|
Willie Tonga
| ||||
| Wing |  Billy Slater
| |||||
| Five-eighth | Chris Flannery
|
Darren Lockyer (c)
| ||||
| Halfback |  Scott Prince
| |||||
| Prop | Shane Webcke (c)
|
Shane Webcke
| ||||
| Hooker | Cameron Smith
| |||||
| Prop | Steve Price
| |||||
| Second Row | Michael Crocker
|
Petero Civoniceva
|
Michael Crocker
| |||
| Second Row | Dane Carlaw
| |||||
| Lock | Tonie Carroll
|
Chris Flannery
| ||||
| Interchange | Ben Ross
| |||||
| Interchange | Matt Bowen
| |||||
| Interchange | Petero Civoniceva
|
Chris Flannery
|
Petero Civoniceva
| |||
| Interchange | Travis Norton
|
Corey Parker
| ||||
| Coach | Michael Hagan
| |||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ "State of Origin - 2000s". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia: Fairfax Digital. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ^ Steve Mascord and John Schell (17 June 2004). "Slater ruins Freddie's fairytale". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
- ^ Barrow, Tim (6 July 2011). "State of Origin: The deciders". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
External links
editSources
edit- Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition, News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney