The State of Origin one-game wonders

 
Brett McKay Columnist

By Brett McKay, 2 Jun 2009 Brett McKay is a Roar Expert

Tagged:
 , , , , , , ,

25 Have your say

Related coverage




I was originally going to write an article on my favourite State of Origin highlights and low-lights this week, but a sentence in David Wiseman’s article last Friday captured my attention. David wrote in his piece that, “47 players have played one game for NSW, compared to the 21 for Queensland.”

Since reading that statement, I’ve made it my mission to find out who these players are (or aren’t, as the case looks to be, from the selectors at least), and to determine what sort of line-ups could be created from these “one-gamers”.

Straightaway I thought of the classics of Origin folklore, like Phil Duke, who was a winger from the Moree Boomerangs, and played the third game of the 1982 series after playing for Country that same year. Duke is one of three Country players to have earned State selection while not playing in the main NSWRL competition. I’ll get to the others in a second.

Unfortunately for Duke, and despite scoring a try on debut, he’ll only ever be remembered for missing an ill-directed pass from NSW fullback Phil Sigsworth, which was pounced upon by the great Wally Lewis for one of Queensland’s simplest tries ever.

The two other Country players were both forwards, Cootamundra’s Paul Field and North Newcastle hooker Rex Wright (1984 Game 1). Amazingly, Field won’t qualify for this team of one-gamers, as he replaced Wayne Pearce in the NSW second row for the second and third game of the 1983 series.

I figured that Western Suburbs centre Ken McGuiness would have to be a certainty too, because all I can ever remember him doing in an Origin game was sit on a bench, unused by Tommy Raudonikis. But he’s out too, as McGuiness actually played five games for NSW, three of those being off the bench. And scored two tries too, so he must have done something right at some point.

My knowledge of Queensland one-gamers starts and finishes with Arthur Beetson in the original State of Origin game in 1980, but apparently, he has twenty mates.

So, the task I’ve set myself is to come up with NSW and Queensland teams of one-gamers, ideally as recently-selected as possible. Coaches will be appointed too, and fortunately, there are some standouts.

For this exercise, NSW will be coached by none other than John “Bomber” Peard, who coached NSW for one series only, losing all three games in 1988.

Current Queensland selector Des Morris gets to wear the coaching cap for the one-game Maroons, with his sole series in 1985 netting just the one win.

With 47 players to pick from, the NSW side was pretty easy, and with only three players from the 1980s being required. Queensland was another story however, with several of the one-game players being from the 1980s, including four from the inaugural State of Origin game in 1980.

And so to the teams (most recently selected in each position, with some minor shuffling):

New
South Wales		 Position Queensland
David Peachey 2000
Game 1		 Fullback Clinton Schifcofske 2006 G3 *
Hazem El Masri 2007
G3		 Wing Terry Butler 1983 G2
John Hopoate 1995 G2 Centre Graham Quinn 1982 G2
Joel Monaghan 2008
G3		 Centre Adrian Vowles 1994 G2 (Bench)
Steve Turner 2008 G2 Wing Adam Mogg 2006 G3 *
Jarrod Mullen 2007
G1		 Five-eighth Alan Smith 1980 G1
Mitchell Pearce 2008
G3		 Halfback Greg Oliphant 1980 G1
Ryan O’Hara 2004
G1		 Prop Arthur Beetson 1980 G1
Aaron Raper 1997 G3
(Bench)		 Hooker Johnny Lang 1980 G1
Tony Butterfield 1998
G3		 Prop Danny Nutley 2005 G3
Chris Walsh 1984 G3 Second Row Matthew Scott 2006 G1
David Brooks 1985 G3 Second Row David Stagg 2006 G1
Jim Leis 1980 G1 Lock Owen Cunningham 1996 G2 (Bench)
Josh
Perry 2003 G1 (Bench)		 Interchange Antonio Kaufusi 2007
G1 (Bench)
Anthony
Watmough 2005 G1 (Bench)		 Interchange Scott Sattler 2003
G2 (Bench)
Scott
Gourley 1993 G3 (Bench)		 Interchange Allan Cann 1996 (Bench)
Michael
Buettner 1997 G3 (Bench)		 Interchange Nathan Fein 2001 G2
(Bench)

Queensland was so difficult in fact that I’ve had to use a fullback and a winger who got a second game (they’d be the ones with the asterix). For this, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the Maroon selectors, whose unwavering loyalty to players is renowned. Even average fullbacks and wingers got another run.

Simply, my choice was to either run with Schifcofske and Mogg, or to play a one-game bench forward well out of position.

Another point of note too: David Peachey (NSW) and Owen Cunningham (Qld) both played in the Super League interstate series in 1997, but only played a single State of Origin game each. For this purpose, they qualify as “one-gamers”.

Also, a special mention to former Illawarra centre Brett Rodwell, who played one game for NSW, from the bench in 1995 (Game 2). Rodwell gets a mention because his Origin experience involved scoring a try with one of his first touches of the ball, but suffered a serious knee injury in doing so, and never played at this level again. John Hopoate gets the centre spot ahead of him only because he lasted the whole game!

So there they are; some quality players amidst a fair amount of nostalgia. Let the debate begin!

The fact that New South Wales has used somewhere near fifty players more than Queensland over the years says something for depth of playing ranks for the Blues, and for the aforementioned Maroon selection loyalty.

And just as ever, we go into another game on Wednesday night where NSW are full of debutants and Queensland keep selecting the same players.

I’m hoping that youthful exuberance triumphs, but I have a suspicion experience might again win out.

Follow Brett McKay on Twitter: @BMcSport

Get a daily rugby league email

Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it.

We value privacy. More.