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So, over the last week, I have named my greatest ever Queensland and New South Wales State of Origin teams. The four articles have sparked a lot of debate, with everyone listing their own squads in the comments.
However, the ultimate question still remains. If these two great teams were to face off, who would win?
New South Wales
1. Tim Brasher, 2. Andrew Ettingshausen, 3. Ryan Girdler (gk), 4. Matt Cooper, 5. Rod Wishart, 6. Brad Fittler, 7. Andrew Johns, 8. Paul Harragon, 9. Danny Buderus (c), 10. Glen Lazarus, 11. Paul Sironen, 12. Steve Menzies, 13. Wayne Pearce.
Bench: 14. Jarryd Hayne, 15. Laurie Daley, 16. Steve Roach, 17. Nathan Hindmarsh.
Queensland
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.
Bench: 14. Billy Slater, 15. Johnathan Thurston, 16. Steve Price, 17. Paul Vautin.
Now let’s have a look at how the game might unfold.
In the weeks leading up to the game the hype is huge. The game has to be played at a new stadium with a capacity of 300,000, which sells out in minutes. The teams are named two weeks before and the players go into camp.
Plenty of people offering their opinions on who should have been in the teams, but excitement sweeps the Eastern Coast of Australia. Ray ‘Rabbits’ Warren is appointed the commentator with Beau Ryan to run the sideline for Channel Nine.
With the match due to start at 7:30, the weather is perfect and a public holiday is declared in New South Wales and Queensland.
It was just as well, because everyone already decided that they aren’t going to work because they would rather listen to Phil Gould talk about the match all day on Channel Nine’s pre game.
An hour before the game and the toss is done. Lockyer wins the toss and elects to kick off while Buderus elects to run towards the northern end of the ground. By 7:15pm every seat is taken and 300,000 people are in the ground.
At 7:26pm the teams run out to deafening applause before the national anthem is sung. Then the NRL decide to have a countdown on the big screen to heighten the occasion as the game kicks off.
Wally Lewis kicks off straight into the waiting arms of Andrew Johns who hands the ball off to big Paul Harragon who charges at the Queensland defence only to find himself in one of the scariest tackles ever with Gorden Tallis and Shane Webcke.
Over the first 10 minutes the game goes back and forth with neither team able to break the other and the deafening noise meaning there is next to no communication for the players. In the 10th minute the Maroons are on the attack as Tallis finds a hole in the line and runs straight through it.
As he approaches the fullback he offloads to Mal Meninga who manages to get a freak offload away to Wendell Sailor. Sailor streaks away and scores in the corner. Mal Meninga manages to convert and the Maroons are up 6-0 after 10 minutes.
The Blues cheekily throw in a short kick off for the return and end up with the ball once again through a brilliant jump from Andrew Ettingshausen. The Blues work it into the Maroons defensive 20 and on the last play a brilliant kick from Andrew Johns ends up in the hands of try scoring machine Ryan Girdler.
He then converts and it’s the Maroons 6–Girdler 6.
For the rest of the first half the game is hard fought, with both packs trying to wear down the other. Interchanges are made to try and bring points, however both teams seem full of nerves.
During the halftime break, Phil Gould reminds us that the teams need to start playing football. The NRL’s favourite band – Justice Crew – performs along with many other bands in a Super Bowl-like half-time entertainment extravaganza.
As the teams run back on for the second half, just by watching the first five minutes you can tell there is going to be points scored. The nerves seem to have disappeared from both teams, who are openly throwing the football around.
There are tries a-plenty, but still the deadlock can’t be broken.
For the Blues Jarryd Hayne, Matt Cooper and Andrew Johns score while Girdler converts all three. For the Maroons Lockyer, Smith and Meninga score tries.
With time running out and five minutes to go Queensland are working the ball out of their own end, when Greg Inglis heads up the field. He is finally tackled 20 metres out and the Maroons work it back into centre field where Wally Lewis slots a field goal with just four minutes and 30 seconds on the clock.
The Blues have a deep kick off and a brilliant defensive set and after a towering kick from Alfie Langer the Blues take tackle one on their own 40 metre-line, down by one point with just three and a half minutes to go.
The Blues work it straight up the middle and manage to slot a field goal, from Johns. With two minutes and 45 seconds to go, Ray Warren seems to be losing his voice and Beau Ryan claims on the sideline “I’ll do another footy show nude if the Blues win this”.
At this point, 99 per cent of male viewers start going for the Maroons.
Queensland kick off deep and the Blues have an average set before Brad Fittler boots it dead. The Maroons charge back to their 20, tap and go. On tackle four, Darren Lockyer makes a break before linking with Lewis.
The ball touches nearly every Maroons player as the siren rings in the background. The capacity crowd are beside themselves and the Maroons look for a hole, before passing to Greg Inglis who charges at Brasher.
The defence are chasing Inglis hard and he throws a pass that sweeps across half the field and lands on the chest of Wally Lewis. Lewis scores under the posts and gives Queensland an incredible victory.
I believe that looking at the two sides, Queensland would probably come away with a very narrow victory.
This will be highlighted tomorrow when I judge who would be in the best ever Origin team if it was selected from both states.