The Blues still have the passion for Origin
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By Truck1984, 11 Jan 2012 Truck1984 is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- New South Wales, NRL, NSW State of Origin, Rugby League, State Of Origin
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Some may say it’s too early for an NRL blog, since it’s 51 days till the NRL season kicks off, so it would be way too early for a State of Origin one since its 134 days till the first game…
But it’s not for this New South Welshman!
Going into the 2012 series, having lost six in a row, you may wonder why I am so excited about it. Yes, I am excited, but am more pissed off at this notion that we don’t have “passion”, or that we don’t have “it”.
Billy Moore, famous for his chant of “Queenslander” on the way to the field in 1995, is quoted as saying: “Passion is something ingrained in Queenslanders. Each year, we go out there with something to prove.”
Wow, Billy, that’s deep!
Did you learn that while playing for NSW in the under 17’s?
I’m not here to question the rules of eligibility for state selection, that’s a whole other discussion, but I find it hard that a NSW born and junior representative is telling me that Queenslanders have more about passion than me.
NSW dominated interstate football before State of Origin. I understand the hatred that Queensland born players, that were made to represent NSW, was the key to State of Origin success. It was used in the ’80s and ’00s as they dominated NSW, and they continue to use it for motivation to this day. NSW doesn’t have that hatred like Queensland. But hatred does not equal passion…
Do you think that every player that pulls on a blue jersey in the middle of the season doesn’t have passion? I’d love to see that question asked of current players like Greg Bird, Beau Scott, Mitchell Pearce or captain Paul Gallen.
Ask good ol’ Mick De Vere if taking a staple gun to the head so you can continue playing, means you have no passion and see what response you get.
Only two props have ever played the full 80 minutes – both NSW players. No passion there? I always hear that Dallas Johnson has passion because he suffered a concussion, and played on to make 25 more tackles.
Sure that’s gutsy, but is it more than a player, Gallen, playing in arguably the toughest position in SoO, making 234 yards and 32 tackles, in the full 80 minutes?
If so, why? And why is it more “passionate”?
As a NSW fan looking over the last few series, I start to see that Queensland’s passion and hatred is turning into arrogance and ignorance.
To me, it’s reflective of what Queensland saw in NSW all those years ago, and it makes me think that, while I know for a fact that NSW has passion, that they have turned this period of arrogance from Queensland into hatred.
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January 11th 2012 @ 7:56am
Jimbo said | January 11th 2012 @ 7:56am | Report comment
On the Dallas Johnson thing, I think it was a disgrace he was allowed on the field. It is well established in the medical literature that a second concussion soon after a first is especially dangerous. I won’t blame Johnson, he obviously wasn’t thinking straight at the time. The decision should have been out of his hands. I understand the NRL is taking steps towards establishing a protocol for dealing with concussed players, but why has it taken so long? We have seen in the NFL a raft of retired players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the NRL would do well to take note and avoid such a disaster here.
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January 11th 2012 @ 8:33am
mushi said | January 11th 2012 @ 8:33am | Report comment
Now I’m just an ignorant Queenslander but hatred does actually equal passion. Ever heard of the saying “hate them with a passion”? Or the dictionary which has Passion: A compelling emotion or feeling such as love or hate.
That is why the Queensland passion will always have that little brother edge – your passion is born simply from the pride in your state Queensland can, and do, emulate that but we also have that abject hatred of your smug blue jerseys and claims that we are ignorant.
The hatred is the difference, you may have in the future more talented teams (the think gap now is far more razor thin than most realise and NSW keep making the same selection errors) and win the games but it won’t be via an edge on passion.
The feats you describe are talent and stamina. Gallen plays the bulk of the minutes of his club games too. This is what he is selected for, his ability to play at that level for as huge amount of minutes it is not some passionate aberration that he only is capable of when playing for NSW.
January 11th 2012 @ 10:14am
Renegade said | January 11th 2012 @ 10:14am | Report comment
That’s because Gallen is passionate about his club too!
This whole QLD passion thing is just a myth…
January 11th 2012 @ 2:30pm
mushi said | January 11th 2012 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
If his passion is consistent then isn’t that his default state?
If you’ve lived in both places and still can’t see a differnce in the level of importance of the event well then there isn’t really much anyone can do for you
January 11th 2012 @ 9:53am
Matt F said | January 11th 2012 @ 9:53am | Report comment
It’s not more passion or more hatred that’s allowed QLD to win so many SOO’s in a row. They’re just a more talented team going through a “golden era.” The fact that everybody in the media (not you Truck but the general media) seems to only focus on the passion and instead of the talent is almost disrespectful to the current QLD side.
January 11th 2012 @ 10:12am
Renegade said | January 11th 2012 @ 10:12am | Report comment
Nailed it….there’s no way queenslanders have more passion!! Absolute rubbish made up by who else but – queenslanders.
Give NSW Lockyer, smith, slater, inglis and i’m sure it would have been 6 series straight the other way.
The talent has been the difference.
January 11th 2012 @ 10:33am
GC Tiger said | January 11th 2012 @ 10:33am | Report comment
Maybe Billy Moore is comparing his NSW experience to his QLD experience. Mick Devere actually Lives in QLD. Paul Gallon had passion in that game, thats not to say the team did (leaving all the work to him). Maybe the the passion thing is a mental thing not a talent thing and the fact people like you get so upset is why half the battle is already won before the game even starts.
To be honest though NSW had crap selectors for too long, too much talk about “Origin Players” and not enough about the best team.
January 11th 2012 @ 10:40am
db swannie said | January 11th 2012 @ 10:40am | Report comment
Passion is a big part of SOO .But no matter if NSW has it in bucketloads,it wont make any difference when players like M.Pearce are picked at 7..Any passion is negated by selecting someone who is quite possibly the most overated player in the game.
January 11th 2012 @ 2:24pm
bigbaz said | January 11th 2012 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
right on swannie.And a team killer like coach Stuart.
January 11th 2012 @ 10:48am
Todd Slater said | January 11th 2012 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Truck 1984 (is that your birth year ?)
Passion is ultimately only part of the deal in Origin, the simple fact is Queensland have had a better team these past six series & have won the key moments, big plays & showed more hunger at crucial times during the games.
New South Wales have continued to play politics with their team, despite having some great players at their disposal. The Canavan review was a good start, (even taking into account that Brian Canavan is actually a Queenslander) & the coming series should be another close one this year.
On the playing passion front you fail to mention that Origin & the game itself is very different from 1980. What was a 15 man game under a 5 metre rule is now a 17 man game under a 10 metre rule, with 6 officials ruling on the game & 10 interchanges.
For what its worth 1989 game 2 at the SFS remains the benchmark for me, when Queensland won without Meninga, Langer, Vautin, who were all off injured & they had run out of replacements. Bob Lindner played with a broken leg & Wally scored a great individual try to win the game (now parodied in a burger ad). Pre interchange & pre 10 metres.
January 11th 2012 @ 11:00am
Stu said | January 11th 2012 @ 11:00am | Report comment
The passion that QLDers have isn’t a myth though NSW can draw on the same sort of events or people. QLD draw passion from Origin results of a time when the NSW team on paper should have won by 50 yet the boys in maroon have got the job done. Also, when trailing with minutes to go the boys have scored a miracle try to win. This is the type of passion that NSW lack, to go above the expectations no matter what the odds. We also draw passion from people and incidents. Bob Fulton, Ken Arthurson, The Jarryd Hayne and Uate judiciary decision. The doctor that took Wally out of his last Kangaroo tour…. I could go on. At the moment NSW appear to have a fabricated dislike of certain Queenslanders though accept losses because QLD has a stronger team. That attitude will never win an origin series, not even close.
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January 11th 2012 @ 11:20am
Galaxy Hop said | January 11th 2012 @ 11:20am | Report comment
Exactly, and not to be a smart arse, but Inglis’ elligibility for Queensland is dubious in the first place.
January 11th 2012 @ 11:37am
Jaceman said | January 11th 2012 @ 11:37am | Report comment
Dubious its flat out wrong – allegedly he played senior footy on the Central Coast (Brisbane waters??) before magically ending up In melbourne (on an inflated hidden salary we now know) yet was eligible for Qld because of their Qld Cup links…Rort…
January 11th 2012 @ 11:34am
peeeko said | January 11th 2012 @ 11:34am | Report comment
Pretty simple, nsw haven’t had a dominant half back since Joey . Queensland has had Lockyer, thurston, Cronk and prince. That’s the main reason why Queensland has won.
January 11th 2012 @ 11:34am
peeeko said | January 11th 2012 @ 11:34am | Report comment
Pretty simple, nsw haven’t had a dominant half back since Joey . Queensland has had Lockyer, thurston, Cronk and prince. That’s the main reason why Queensland has won.
January 11th 2012 @ 11:57am
Paul said | January 11th 2012 @ 11:57am | Report comment
Absolutley,also QLD has had Cronk Slater and Smith and we had their club coach during the same period. And they had a non club coach.