In the week or so that has passed since NSW were granted field level seats to witness Queensland put on a rugby league clinic at Suncorp Stadium, an awful lot has been said about just how incredible this Queensland side are.
I listen to the odd bit of Triple M, and the likes of Paul Kent, Ray Warren and Matty Johns have all said their fair share on just what an incredible team this Queensland side is.
Now, after winning 9 out of 10 series, it’s hard to argue this is a great Queensland side, but the effusive praise they’ve received has occasionally bordered on the ridiculous.
Take Triple M’s Grill Team in Sydney. The question was posed at one point how this Maroons side would first do against the Wallabies, and then against the All Blacks.
Now, without getting into the nitty gritty of rule differences etc, on a class and skill basis you’d probably say this Queensland side would beat the currently sixth ranked Wallabies side, if in some alternate universe they were playing the same game.
But forget about the All Blacks. Yes, Queensland have some great players that will be future immortals and they have been incredibly dominant over the past ten years against New South Wales. But let’s not forget that we’re talking about a Blues side that hasn’t fielded a genuinely world class half since the retirement of Andrew Johns.
In the past two series we’ve seen the difference a good half can make at the elite level. Without Cronk steadying the ship, the mighty Maroons appear far more mortal than they otherwise have.
Moreover, NSW have still managed to win an average of a game per series in this period of Maroons dominance.
Finally, for the past ten years the Kangaroos have largely (and rightly) featured a Maroons spine, yet the mighty Kangaroos are dead even with the Kiwis in tournament wins since 2005, with each having won three trophies and a World Cup win in that period.
That doesn’t hold this current crop Queensland greats in a light in which you’d be able to compare them with the All Blacks of the past decade. Again, if we start in 2005, this is a team that began it’s decade by thrashing a British and Irish Lions side made up of the core of England’s 2003 World Cup-winning team, won 8 of the last 10 Tri Nations/Rugby Championship tournaments, won a Rugby World Cup, completed three grand slams and are the only side to ever achieve a perfect season in the professional era (2013).
Queensland’s feat of winning 9 out of 10 Origin series is incredible in the context of Origin, but like it or not this dominance has occurred in an era of NSW weakness. That is reflected in the fact that this core Queensland spine hasn’t performed with the same efficiency consistently at Test level against the Kiwis in big deciding games as they have against their NSW opponents.
So while it’s fine to wax lyrical about them, let’s please keep it in perspective. Queensland are Origin champs, but they’re not a side you’d put in a class alongside teams like the All Blacks over the same period – or even the Aussie cricket team from the 90s to the mid 00s.
The Maroons are great, but greatest ever? Not by a long way.
Shaun
Guest
Excellent my man. Being from the cape is an experience that all Queenslanders should better understand.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Negative on the Brisbane front Shaun. 5th generation North Queenslander. Come from a Cane farm and everything.
Shaun
Guest
JC, 10 years might be a bit light. But I imagine (correct me if I am wrong) that you are from Brisbane. I think that makes you just a Queenslander. Different standards down there.
Baz
Guest
Where was a sterling born? Where was Nagas born?
Jay C
Roar Guru
I guess Thurston must not exist...
Leaguecoach101
Guest
Well Jarryd Hayne won last year, there was a run of 3 QLD's before that (Cronk, Slater, Ben Barba), prior to that it was Todd Carney, Hayne again and Matt Orford - all NSW players. So it's fairly even over the last several years. What exactly was your point?
Rod
Guest
It could be argued that the international Union sides over the last 10 years have been ordinary. The wallabies have been consistently average, the French have gone from good, to poor to awful, yeah they did well in 2011 final, the English like the wallabies, the boks have been good and did well to win 2007 World Cup which was from memory was a pretty ordinary tournament. I know the welsh and the Irish have done well, or is that the rest have been below par. The only team to play consistently well have been the all blacks. Same could be said about the maroons v the blues
Joe
Roar Rookie
I'd have Folau on one wing in that QLD side.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Former QLD Origin WINGER Izzy Folau, is their bona fide superstar fullback.
Roger Roger
Guest
Another myth indeed. It used to be Choppy Close said it, now it's Mal, soon it'll be Wally etc etc. If Qld didn't care about Origin after that series defeat, why did we go out of our way to create our own Emerging Squad (something NSW later aped), with Wayne Bennett stating it was his personal goal to make up for that series demolition in 2001? We came back and won the next series.
Jack
Guest
top teams? lol - the Wallabies are ranked 6th - and former Qld Origin star Israel Folau plays for them.
Alan
Guest
Agreed. I meant went he labeled the wallabies the quality of a mid table nrl team, and at the same time discounting six nation rugby teams such as Ireland, England, France and Wales. I just couldn't believe what I was reading.
Ra
Guest
Trying to compare the virtues of one code over another is dumb, ridiculous and a no win time wasting activity Alan
Bronco Juggernaut
Guest
Well the Blues have been sooking since Wednesday, that's a little more than 5 minutes
Bronco Juggernaut
Guest
Everyone knows deep down QLD is the best state in Australia.
Ra
Guest
You guys need to kick out all those Pasifika and Kiwi fullas from your local derby then you'll see your real depth. And GI said he's very comfortable with his decision to play for Queensland on a NITV interview I saw last season.
Muzz
Guest
How's my good friend BJ ob going?
Bronco Juggernaut
Guest
Take all the best Queenslanders out of the NSW sides and put them in QLD sides and a QLD team would win every year. That's a fact. Other then Jarryd Hayne, when was the last time anyone other then Queenslander has won the Dally M?
Bronco Juggernaut
Guest
moderated: no personal insults
Bronco Juggernaut
Guest
Typical sour grapes muzz comment. It'll be funny to see what you say when the Broncos and Cowboys are playing in the final this year.