- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
There are just a few hours to go until the greatest show in rugby league. As a one-eyed Maroons supporter, I present my top ten favourite tries since 1980.
FOLLOW LIVE SCORES OF STATE OF ORIGIN 2017 – GAME 1
Game winners, team and individual efforts and a miracle try. This list has it all.
10. Allan Langer: 2001, Game 3
After an SOS call from Wayne Bennett, Allan Langer returned from the English Super League to win the series back. In the third game Queensland were well ahead and Langer was only metres from the line. Langer would take the ball, throw a dummy, duck under one defender and turn and reach back over his head to score his best individual Origin try. Not a game winner but one of the best.
9. Greg Dowling: 1984, Game 2
My daughter’s basketball coach tells them always be ready for the rebound. Well, Dowling did just that, in what was a chip and chase attempt by Wally Lewis. The ball hit the crossbar floated back to the field of play, Dowling dived and caught the ball and crossed the line. He was covered in mud for his efforts. A lucky one but still on the list.
8. Brent Tate: 2006, Game 3
Johnathan Thurston made a line break and floated a pass to Brent Tate. Tate did the rest, pinning back his ears to run 60 metres to the try line to start the miracle comeback and the eight-year dominance of Queensland.
7. Tony Carroll: 1998, Game 1
This was a great example of the Queensland never-say-die attitude. With five points down and about 90 seconds to go Andrew Johns kicked the ball to end the game but it bounced off a Queensland player and Shane Webcke came up with the ball. Over the five tackles and 80 seconds Queensland pushed through to eventually be just ten metres out. With players rushing the ball Carroll found a gap and shot straight through. Origin Godfather Arthur Beetson in an after game interview stated the famous phrase that Queensland “stuck it to them in the last minute.”
6. Wally Lewis: 1989, Game 2
You can’t make a top ten list without at least one try from the greatest player ever – The King, Wally Lewis. In an individual effort, Lewis gathered a stolen ball 40-metres out and ran through three NSW defenders. He threw a dummy and then went for gold as he changed directions and headed for the line. Garry Jack grabbed Lewis but he pushed him off and toppled over the line to score a great try. One of the best from the best.
5. Israel Folau: 2008, Game 3
In a move that would be good enough for the AFL’s mark of the year, Folau flew through the air and grabbed the ball and then flipped himself down hand first to also get the best put down of the year award.
4. Matt Bowen: 2005, Game 1
Some think that Mitchell Pearce hands Queensland games but Brett Kimmorley had his moment to forget long before that. Bowen swooped on a pass that you could have seen coming last week and ran the rest of the field to steal the game for NSW.
3. Darren Lockyer: Game 3, 2006
After one of the worse passes in Origin history Darren Lockyer ran about 15-metres to swoop on the ball beating two defenders to score under the posts to steal the game from NSW in the last 5 minutes of Game 3. “Oh no” was Phil Gould’s reaction in commentary. Oh no was right Gus as this would start the eight-year dominance of Origin by the mighty Maroons. One of Lockyer’s best individual efforts.
2. Billy Slater: 2004, Game 2
The best individual effort in an Origin was this try by Billy the kid. Off the boot of Darren Lockyer Slater chased and gathered the ball, ran past two defenders then kicked and chased the ball again to somehow regather and put it over the line. One of Billy’s best.
1. Mark Coyne: 1994, Game 1
This is the best try ever, I mean ever, by a team, in an origin or in the game of rugby league period. If I was to do a top ten team and/or all time tries article this one is number one every time. After going through the entire team’s hands and pretty much the entire field Queensland come up with the miracle try on the last play to win the game. Ray Warren’s line of “That’s not a try, that’s a miracle” will forever will be my number one.
There you have my top ten. What’s your favourite Queensland Origin try and what did I miss?
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.