By The Roar
May 20th 2008 @ 8:12am
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The state of biff: Best stinks in the State of Origin
The State of Origin has featured the biff from the time in the first match Artie Beetson (Queensland) belted one of his club team-mates playing for NSW. Here’s a video of what may be called the ’state of biff’ series.
The call of ‘Queenslander’ is the fuel to many Origin biffs. In an age of cynical professionalism, the ‘Queenslander’ cry is a welcome injection of passion into the game.
Put the link to any State of Origin moments you find on YouTube in the comments below.
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Kento said | May 20th 2008 @ 8:15am | Report comment
Gordon Tallis’ famous tackle on Brett Hodgson
Eddey said | May 20th 2008 @ 1:59pm | Report comment
Obviously Tallis has a brain, as its all common sense… Not like todays players…
Harry said | May 20th 2008 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
The fight in Melbourne in 1995 was a doozy.
Glenn Condell said | May 20th 2008 @ 5:43pm | Report comment
Geyer v Lewis – though I don’t think it went as far as punches. Wally was not a man to back down, and neither was MG, who with Sirro and Roberts and others, put on one of the best defensive performances I can remember. Dunno what year it was – probably 91 or 92.
DT said | May 20th 2008 @ 7:13pm | Report comment
Technically it’s not State of Oirigin, because it happened in 1977, but you can’t go past Tommy Raudonikis replacing Steve Mortimer late in the second half with the Blues behind in a low scoring game; Tommy has run up to the Queensland half back Greg Oliphant, who was down with an injury, pushed away the St. Johns ambulance bloke who was administering treatment, and started punching Oliphant in the head. That sparked the Blues up, and Tommy scored a try to win the game minutes later.
sheek said | May 20th 2008 @ 8:45pm | Report comment
Glenn,
Interesting study of psychology, Lewis v Geyer. If anyone blinked, it was Geyer. I think Geyer was totally dumbfounded that anyone could be so crazy to take him on, & I don’t think he had ever received so much invective in so short a space of time. I think he was still trying to make sense of it when half-time was called.
Geyer was stronger than Lewis, no doubt about it. But Lewis was cunning like the devil. He knew his mark. The idea was to throw so much invective at Geyer as to shock him. I think it worked, although half-time allowed Geyer to regather his thoughts.
Once Lewis calmed down he probably thought, “thank God he didn’t swing at me”. But Lewis had the ability to imtimidate players bigger & stronger through his tongue. He exuded a ’scorched earth’ persona. He basically said to guys like Geyer, “you might beat me to a pulp, but I’ll damage you in the process also”.
After his playing days, at the Broadbeach Pacific Fair, I saw Lewis absolutely destroy this 30-40s something woman, with his invective, believing she had taken the carpark spot he was about to move into. Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t, but she couldn’t drive away quickly enough, sobbing as she went.
Glenn Condell said | May 21st 2008 @ 4:14pm | Report comment
Bruce
I can’t remember Geyer taking a backward step but yes, I seem to recall him being shell-shocked by the Lewis barrage. Who wouldn’t be?
Part of Lewis’s greatness lay in this utter refusal to lie down. One of the best games he ever played for the Roos was in a losing side v the Poms. He was so upset with the lethargy of his players he took the opposition on himself, at one stage scoring a stunning try by simply rampaging thru the Pom forwards like an enraged bowling ball, planting he ball defiantly under the sticks. The others lifted but not enough.
I wouldn’t argue with him about a car-park!