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After naming the best ever backline yesterday, today I will complete the Queensland team with their forward pack and interchange bench.
The front rowers
The candidates are: Greg Dowling (Wynnum – Manly, Brisbane Broncos), Martin Bella (Brisbane Easts, North Sydney Bears, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Chargers), Shane Webcke (Brisbane Broncos), Petero Civoniceva (Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers), Steve Price (Canterbury Bakstown Bulldogs and New Zealand Warriors), and Matt Scott (North Queensland Cowboys).
Greg Dowling was a big, strong and hard-hitting front rower of the late 1980s. After years of instability in the front row for the Maroons, with different front rowers being selected for nearly every game, he was the first real front rower that held down his place, even if it was only for a couple of years. He played for the Maroons 11 times and represented Australia 12 times.
Martin Bella plied his trade as a front rower at six different clubs throughout his career, but the thing that didn’t change about him was his ability to scare an opposition with his hard running and tough tackling. He played for the Maroons 21 times and Australia 9 times.
Shane Webcke was consistently one of the best front rowers on the field playing in the NRL, State of Origin and the international arena. He had the honour of captaining the Maroons a couple of times and was brilliant in both attack and defence. He played for the Maroons 21 times and Australia 25 times, showing just how consistent he was.
Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price’s careers ran basically side by side, with there only being a couple of years separating their debuts, Origin debuts, international debuts and retirements. Over a number of years being named in the front row together, these two managed to torment the Blues pack and are a big part of the reason Queensland were able to win the first four series in their run of eight straight.
Civoniceva played 33 times for the Maroons and a staggering 45 times for the Kangaroos, while Price 28 times for Queensland and 16 times for Australia.
Matt Scott is one of the best front rowers in the game today and it has shown in the Origin arena for the most part of his career, admirably replacing Steve Price in the Queensland team. A big part of the reason the Blues were able to overcome the Maroons in the 2014 series was because they were able to nullify Scott’s impact.
The verdict: Shane Webcke is the first selected, hands down one of the best front rowers to ever play the game. The other spot comes down to Civoniceva and Price. Both had massive impact in Origin but the spot goes to Civoniceva, with Price and Matt Scott narrowly missing out although as Scott continues his career this may change.
Hooker
The candidates are: Greg Conescu (Brisbane Norths, Galdstone, Redcliffe and Brisbane Broncos), Steve Walters (Brisbane Norths, Canberra Raiders, North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights) and Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm).
Greg Conescu was the first Queensland hooker to really hold down the spot, becoming the Queensland hooker for most of the 1980s and until the year before he retired and only missing out on one series during his Origin career. He represented Queensland 21 times and played for Australia 9 times.
Steve Walters was the next hooker to represent Queensland after Conescu. He was creative and strong in defence and played for Queensland 15 times and Australia 14 times.
Cameron Smith played for the Maroons in every game of their eight-year winning streak, apart from one due to injury, having debuted in 2004 for the Maroons. He has generally been in a senior position in the team, taking the captaincy in 2012 after Darren Lockyer retired. Smith is great in defence and attack, putting up great tackling numbers and being another attacking weapon for the Maroons as well as being one of the best leaders in the comp.
The verdict: How can you go past Cameron Smith?
Second row
Arthur Beetson (Redcliffe, Balmain Tigers, Eastern Suburbs and Parramatta Eels), Wally Fullerton Smith (Redcliffe and St George Dragons), Trevor Gillmeister (Brisbane Norths, Eastern Suburbs, Brisbane Broncos, Penrith Panthers and South Queensland), Gary Larson (North Sydney and Parramatta Eels), Gorden Tallis (St George Dragons and Brisbane Broncos), Sam Thaiday (Brisbane Broncos) and Nate Myles (Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, Sydney Roosters and Gold Coast Titans).
When you think of the history of Origin, you think of Arthur Beetson. He was the loudest in calling for Queenslanders playing in the NSWRL to be able to play for the state of Queensland instead of New South Wales. Then it actually happened and he captained Queensland in the first ever Origin. He only played for the Maroons past 1980 once, but represented Australia 29 times.
Wally Fullerton Smith was an inconsistent choice for the Maroons, as were most of the second rowers during the 1980s, however when called upon by Queensland he never failed, being strong in both attack and defence. He played for the Maroons 12 times and Australia 8.
Trevor Gillmeister and Gary Larson played for the Maroons during the 1990s and played a number of games side by side. They both handled themselves very well in the Origin arena and were a lot for the Blues to handle. Gillmeister played 22 games for Queensland and 3 for Australia, while Larson played 24 games for Queensland and 9 for Australia.
Gorden Tallis will be remembered as the first player to get sent off in an Origin match, but also for his ability to manhandle a player in a tackle and ruin a defensive line with the ball. He would never back down from a fight or any physical confrontation on the field and was consistently one of the best second rowers during the early 2000s. He got the chance to captain the Maroons on a number of occasions, played for Queensland 17 times and Australia 13 times.
Over the last number of years and State of Origin series, Sam Thaiday and Nate Myles have been two of the best second rowers going around. They both run the ball hard and will tackle all day. Thaiday has a lot of creativity for a forward. Thaiday has played for Queensland 21 times and Australia 24 times, while Myles has played for Queensland 25 times and Australia 8 times.
The verdict: To name Athur Beetson or not to name Arthur Beetson? As he only played one game for the Maroons he misses out on a starting spot. Gorden Tallis is the first picked in the second row, while the other spot goes to Sam Thaiday. Myles, Fullerton Smith and Gillmeister are very unlucky to miss out.
Lock
Paul Vautin (Brisbane Wests and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles), Bob Lindner (Brisbane Souths, Wynnum Manly, Parramatta Eels, Gold Coast – Tweed, Western Suburbs and Illawarra Steelers), Billy Moore (North Sydney Bears) and Tonnie Carroll (Brisbane Broncos).
Paul Vautin played lock and second row for the Maroons, but the majority at lock. Vautin was very good in defence for the Maroons and was always up to it when his state needed him. He also captained the Maroons a handful of times. He played for the Maroons 22 times and Australia 13 times.
Bob Lindner was one of the best locks on the footy field and it showed with his consistent selections in the Queensland team through the course of his career, playing for the Maroons right up until he went to England to finish his career. He played for the Maroons 25 times scoring seven times and Australia 22 times.
Billy Moore was a consistent selection in the Maroons team during the mid-1990s, playing 17 matches for the Maroons in six series. He was tough in defence and in the ever-evolving forward positions was creative with the ball and a hard runner. He also played for Australia three times.
Tonnie Carroll was big strong, wouldn’t back down, tackled anything that came near him, and ran at players in blue jumpers just as well. While he wasn’t the best or he most consistent selection he always did a job for the Maroons, playing 17 games for them and playing for Australia 7 times.
The verdict: The lock spot comes down to Bob Lindner versus Paul Vautin but Lindner gets it because of his consistent selections over a prolonged period of time and a slightly higher talent level.
The bench
So many unlucky players have missed out on this greatest ever Queensland squad. The list to pick the bench from is Billy Slater, Kerry Boustead, Johnathan Thurston, Greg Dowling, Martin Bella, Steve Price, Nate Myles, Arthur Beetson, Wally Fullerton Smith, Trevor Gillmeister, and Paul Vautin.
Thurston and Slater are the first two on the bench because between them they make any team better with their mixture of attack and for Slater defence.
It’s hard to give Beetson a spot no matter how good he was because he only played one game but I will name him as 19th man.
Steve Price has to be on the bench because of his awesome contributions on the field for Queensland and the other spot goes to Paul Vautin. 18th man will go to Trevor Gillmeister with Wally Fullerton Smith and Nate Myles very close behind. Myles may find himself there in a couple of years as his Origin record continues to improve.
The greatest ever Queensland Origin team
1. Darren Lockyer (c)
2. Wendell Sailor
3. Mal Meninga (gk)
4. Greg Inglis
5. Dale Shearer
6. Wally Lewis
7. Allan Langer
8. Shane Webcke
9. Cameron Smith
10. Petero Civoniceva
11. Gorden Tallis
12. Sam Thaiday
13. Bob Lindner
14. Billy Slater
15. Johnathan Thurston
16. Steve Price
17. Paul Vautin
18th man: Trevor Gillmeister
19th man: Arthur Beetson
The captain
Lockyer, Meninga, Lewis, Langer, Webcke, Smith and Tallis have all captained the Maroons. At the end of the day, the captaincy has to go to Darren Lockyer because he captained the team through the beginning of their run of eight straight and also managed to pull them out of a three series losing streak.
The goalkicker
The obvious choice of goalkicker is Mal Meninga, who kicked 69 goals throughout his Maroons career. Other possible options are Wally Lewis, Cameron Smith, Allan Langer, Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston, although he is on the bench.
Well that’s the Queensland team. Next I’ll be compiling a greatest ever Origin team based on who the best are out of the two Origin teams selected.
In the meantime, leave your comments on who you thought should have been picked in the Queensland forward pack.