Every good hero needs a strong villain.
They’re a yin to our yang. Seemingly opposite forces are in fact complementary, interconnected, and nay, inseparable. The concept strikes at the very core of our human condition.
Their famous struggles resonate through history – think of Moses and Ramses, Harry Potter and Voldemort, the Terminator and T-1000. My maroons have their blues.
So, what makes a strong villain? Well, the archetypal villain is your memorable antagonist. Loathsome and reviled, they hold a mirror to our heroes – jamming back in our face all their strengths and failings, all their fears and motivations.
They challenge us to question why we’re so righteous, and why they’re so evil.
And what’s my issue, I hear you ask. The Blues are the Blues, and to a Queenslander, isn’t their evil self-fulfilling? Well, yes, to a point.
New South Wales stole our players, undermined our game, and impose their tyrannical rule like some sort of anaemic inbred monarchy. But that there’s visceral hate, you see, and Origin’s more primal.
It used to be clear-cut – gone are the days when the blues was full of card-carrying half-wits. Origin was our Christmas in July, and, as the Caxton street carol used to go:
“You know Carney and Graham and Ennis and Dugan,
You know Birdy, and Jennings and Fergo and so on,
But do you recall, the most famous bell-end of all…”
Spoiler alert: It was Gallen.
They were the last in a long and uninterrupted lineage of loathsome individuals – stretching right back through your Geoff Tooveys, to your Mark Carrolls and Bennies Elias’. Those were the days. It was them and us. Good and evil. Their loss was our nourishing annual schadenfreude.
But what of the current crop? I just don’t know. Sure, I don’t like them because they’re blues, but there’s no single focus for my game-day vitriol.
In short – they’ve got no bona fide villains. To be honest, I actually like watching Josh Addo-Car, Jimmy the Jet, and Tyrone Peachey. Hell, I’ll even grudgingly pay tribute to Boyd Cordner’s game. And Reagan Campbell-Gillard, has there ever been a nicer prop?
Where’s your deranged Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, Anton the psychopath from No Country for Old Men, or Ivan Drago in Rocky V? The closest run is Gus Gould’s commentary – which is about as one-eyed as a trouser snake. He plays his Jabba the Hut cameo quite well.
And this is why I’m starting a grass roots campaign. It’s called #bringbackthevillains – because the plot of Origin III needs a much-needed saviour. Our maroon heros need a strong blue villain.
Footy Fan
Guest
"New South Wales stole our players, undermined our game, and impose their tyrannical rule" Que? Queensland players had their own ideas to move residence to play in a stronger league, often before they were first graders. There was no mega hoover, roaming mind washers, or insideous commercial setup to steal Queenslanders. Their was no organised group of NSW conspirators. Simply suburban clubs and coaches offering any players a run (from local, other suburbs, interstate or overseas). Salaries weren't too much above the average wage. The State competition setup was as mutually agreed between the two state leagues and predated any of the players upping and jumping borders. When the Qld league requested a change at the very end of the seventies, NSW agreed to it very quickly. You know it's the truth.
Corunetes
Guest
This is a thoroughly entertaining subject. Best for a while. BTW, Slater is a sneaker fellow. Extraordinarily talented but very, very sneaky.
Mike L
Guest
"leading with his monolithic cranium?" . That line TB is pure gold Keep up the good work!
Big daddy
Guest
Tiger's have 2. Reynolds is not called grub for nothing. And everyone hates robbie - doesn't matter who he plays with.
JUSTINE
Guest
Will Chambers ......serial pest no. 1!!!! Easy to dislike...
Ja ja klazo
Guest
Munster is a pretty good candidate. Maybe Napa could have been but his slow play the balls sort of make you like him from a blues perspective.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
As long as the Maroons keep picking Will Chambers, they will always have a man to hate in their side.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Gould isn't a villain, he's a vaudeville villain. He plays it up for tv
no one in particular
Roar Guru
yep, fake tough guy
peeko
Guest
Josh Mcguire
The Barry
Roar Guru
Nice one. I think NSW fans can say the same. No Smith bending the refs ear. No third man Thaiday. Where’s Tallis raging a load of bull or Nate Myles twisting knees and leading with his monolithic cranium? Hopefully Ponga starts sliding in feet first a la Billy Slater or Matt Gillett overdoses on the DH pills and becomes Mick Crocker!! It was even easier working up a ‘hatred’ for JT than poor old Ben Hunt who just gets our pity more than our scorn. I hope it’s not the end of the villian!
RoryStorm
Guest
You beat me to the punch Evanfinity. When I saw the headline for this story the only villain I could think of was Gus Gould. How much longer do we have to put up with him? Please, somebody, anybody, surely there must be someone out there in tv land who can help us. The only other villain I can think of is the Ref who pings my team for being offside when they clearly weren't, or being penalised for a forward pass when it wasn't. Flat is not forward.
Paul
Roar Guru
There are two essential criteria for being a League villain: be very good at doing something guaranteed to annoy or hurt opposition teams and also be a very good player as well.In years gone by, I had no trouble disliking Steve Mortimer. He used to torment the s**t out of my Dragons and you could tell he was annoying as well. Being a very good player is relatively easy compared to the first criterion. I thought Kenny Edwards was a real chance a few seasons ago, but he stopped being a very good player for some reason. As you've suggested, getting rubbed out or penalised on a regular basis is not a career enhancing move in this day and age. Maybe the villain has gone from the games, along with stiff arms, spear tackles and all in brawls.Or maybe we're just going through a phase - hopefully the latter. We need our vilains for sure.
3 recalcitrant monkeys
Guest
Loz started it with team changes 2 years ago but I new something was wrong when junior junior made his affection for animals public on Australia day you know what they say if you like animals you have to be good person. But the days of Geyer running around elbowing skulls is gone, clubs cannot afford an origin quality forward getting rubbed out for 3 weeks that's what fringe bench forwards are really for . Now days it seems good behavior is a prerequisite for Australian and state selection. It also helps when the captain is a high quality person like Cordner and not Gallen who didn't mind the odd cheapy. As a Queenslander I won't mind listening to a NSW victory speech from Cordner hopefully not a 3 nill white wash speech though . It will most likely be all class.
Nat
Roar Guru
I know, it sucks right? All Qld have is the Sydney media but even their attempts at conflict are laughable. RCG gets excited with his call up stating he wants to "kill" someone and the journos go to every Qlder whose ever seen a game chasing a reaction. Some of the best parts of origin are the Enemy of the State scenario but you could argue Qld took that away first. Where Qld had 2 gens of Elias, Blocker, the Geyer cameo, Mason, Gallen, Bird mouthing off, Qld's success with Smith, Lockyer, JT and Co would be considered smug due to their lack of controversial interface with the press. Therefore, being perceived as dismissive of NSW. After the game though, ol' #refsfault Buzz would roll out "10 calls that cost us the game" which would stir up the hate. I'm not on twitter but I would like to bring back the #shutupgus. Years ago I liked his pregame analysis, then after a few years into the Qld domination it leaned toward 'this what NSW have to do' (understandably) but the last few years volume goes up upon kickoff. If only the radio sync'd with the TV!
Fraser
Guest
I'm starting to work up quite a dislike for Angus Crichton. His sneaky strips of the ball which haven't been called have been instrumental in both games. There's just something about him that annoys me. Other than that, you're absolutely right. Fittler's no DH policy has ushered in a squad of extremely talented, and almost likeable bunch of NSW players. Where have all the penalty merchants like Fifita and Graham gone? Let's hope Tariq Sims lives up to his reputation, so we have someone to hate.