26th June 2002 was a famous night for many reasons. On that fateful evening at the Olympic stadium, Queensland and New South Wales went to battle in yet another third match decider.
The Blues had smashed Queensland in Game 1 32-4 after a masterful performance from legendary halfback Andrew Johns. But the Maroons, being the Maroons, fought back and squared the series with a gallant 26-18 win in Brisbane in Game 2.
Then came Game 3, and my first live State of Origin experience.
Sure, I had been to games at Stadium Australia before. But this was something else.
Like one big breathing organism the stadium roared: “Bluueeess, Bluueeess, Bluueeess!”
Every break, every try, the sea of sky blue rose as one.
This was the infamous 18-all draw that saw Queensland keep the Origin shield despite never really winning the series.
The Blues held the lead and were headed to victory late in the piece when Queensland second rower Dane Carlaw got the ball on the halfway line. Sure enough I had to be sitting right in line with the oncoming Carlaw.
Why Jason Moodie was defending at centre we will never know.
Carlaw picked out Moodie and flicked him away with contempt before charging off for the series-sealing try. For whatever reason, Lote Tuqiri was given the shot at goal and right on cue he missed to the right of the posts.
Either way the Maroons had victory.
The Tuqiri miss infuriated my already seething father.
And yes this was the night Gorden Tallis rag-dolled the diminutive Brett Hodgson halfway across Sydney in one of the great Origin moments.
Fortunately enough for me instead of hanging around for the ceremony, my brother and I spent the next ten minutes watching aforementioned seething father drop the shoulder into any number of Queenslanders on our way to the train station.
To their credit, Queensland came back from 1-0 down in the series and had done enough to hold onto the shield. They’d dragged themselves off the canvas and stunned the star-studded Blues.
The Blues had the Immortal Johns and a forward pack containing Danny Buderus, Steve Menzies, Luke Ricketson and Nathan Hindmarsh.
Queensland on the other hand featured journeymen like PJ Marsh, Chris McKenna, Shaun Berrigan and Chris Walker.
Yet the Maroons were still good enough to keep the tag of Origin champions.
The point is Queensland can be beaten tonight at ANZ Stadium.
Sure they have Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater.
But when was an Origin game ever won on pure talent alone?
Queensland has proven it time and time again. Remember the 1995 series?
Last year the Blues came within a point of Origin glory. It wasn’t Queensland’s brilliance that got them over the line, it was guts.
New South Wales must be ready for war tonight, mentally and physically.
They have to be prepared to bleed, run the suicidal lines and chase down every kick and make sure they are there in support for every break.
The result will take care of itself.
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Queensland often has the right mix of generational talent, playmaking brilliance and these nuts-and-bolts players that bind them together like glue.
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