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Consider these two State of Origin halves: Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Pearce.
Nathan Cleary is forging a very successful Origin career. He is reasonably likely to be two series wins from two attempts in the critical halfback role. And he has been supremely anonymous doing so. No line breaks, try assists, 40/20s, or eye-catching moments.
In contrast, Mitchell Pearce. Premiership winner and a great club half, but by a quirk of fate, Junior Pearce Junior came up against a juggernaut and has one of the least impressive Origin records in history.
Who is the better player? If Pearce had James Maloney holding his hand would he have won more games? If Cleary was marking Johnathan Thurston or Cooper Cronk, would he even have played five games?
And this brings me to my two slightly different Origin line-ups: the anonymous winners and the top-shelf losers.
All these players have higher winning percentages than Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Wally Lewis, Johnathan Thurston, Laurie Daley, Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns.
Darius Boyd (19 wins from 28 games)
The ultimate anonymous winner, Boyd has a better win-loss record that all of the above, and you can throw in Darren Lockyer and Greg Inglis as well. And he pretty much made a career from catching a Greg Inglis pass and taking three steps to score.
Brad Backer (three from three)
The Brisbane Easts winger has a perfect Origin record, playing in the three of the first four Origin games. Queensland lost the one he missed. But was overshadowed by Kerry Boustead, Mal Meninga and Chris Close. Backer did play seven times for Queensland under the old residential rules, winning one game and scoring no tries form the wing.
Craig Teevan (three from three)
This utility player appeared in more than 100 club games across five clubs. Teevan played three games from the bench during the famous 1995 ARL series won by Fatty Vautin’s nobodies. No tries or goals and never picked again.
Josh Hannay (two from two)
The North Queensland goal-kicking centre played in a dead rubber victory in 2003 and was picked again three years later for the famous 2006 decider that started the dynasty. He was never picked again.
Graham Lyons (two from three)
The South Sydney winger played all three games in the 1990 series won by NSW and was never picked again despite playing a further four seasons in top grade.
Michael Hagan (four from five)
The Canterbury and Newcastle half played the entire series in Queensland’s 1989 whitewash, possibly the most dominant series win of all time, won by a combined 88 to 34. He was dropped after a loss in Game 1 of 1990, but came back for the Maroons’ victory in the dead rubber and never played again, despite playing a further three years in the top grade for Newcastle.
Nathan Cleary (three from five so far)
Three wins, two losses, possibly two series from two and nothing on any highlights reel of any game.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Honourable mention: John Simon (three from four). Picked for NSW’s win in Game 1 of 1992 and then dropped for the returning Ricky Stuart. Did not play again for five years until playing all three games in NSW’s 1997 series win. Never picked again despite playing 230 first grade games between 1990 and 2001.
Paul Khan (three from four)
Picked in Queensland’s 1981 victory and then played all three games in the first ever full series in 1982 as a veteran. This was after leaving Cronulla and returning to Queensland for Brisbane Easts. Khan’s first game for Queensland had been way back in 1973 when he backed up after playing for Queensland Colts!
Robbie McCormack (two from two)
McCormack played the first game in 1992 and Game 2 of 1993, both won by the Blues. McCormack played over 150 games for Newcastle, but is their forgotten hooker due to Danny Buderus.
Chris Beattie (two from three)
The Cronulla prop played from the bench for the first two games of 2001 but was dropped for the decider. After Queensland got flogged 32-4 in Game 1 of 2002, Beattie returned for their remarkable second game turnaround, winning 26-18. Did not play in the third game draw that sealed the series for the Maroons and was never picked again. Beattie ended up playing for a number of years in France.
David Furner (six wins and a draw from eight)
The goal-kicking second rower played the entire series in 1996 and 2000, as well as being selected once each in 1998 and 1999. Only ever lost one game but I’d forgotten he’d even been picked.
Neville Costigan (five from six)
The Papua New Guinea international played six unremarkable times from the bench during the first part of Queensland’s dynasty, losing only once. Costigan enjoyed a long career playing nearly 170 first grade games across four clubs.
Norm Carr (three from three)
Three games for three wins over 1981 and 1982 for Norm Carr, who was a stalwart of the Brisbane competition for Wests. There was some controversy in Queensland in 1980 when he was overlooked for a lock position in the first ever Origin game in favour of some nobody called Wally Lewis.
Greg Alexander (none from six)
Who would have thought it? Six games, six losses, no tries between 1989 and 1991 for one of the best halves/fullbacks of his generation. Brandy is the least successful Origin player of all time. He did win a game for NSW Super League in 1997.
Mat Rogers (one from five)
Rogers scored all of Queensland’s points on debut to win Game 1 of 1999. He must have thought that this Origin caper was pretty easy, but he went on to lose the next four straight, culminating in NSW’s famous 56-16 hand grenade victory in Game 3 of 2000.
Steve Rogers (one from four)
One of the top five centres of all time, ‘Sludge’ played in the first four Origin games as a veteran, for three losses and no tries. Of course, under all reasonable eligibility rules he should have been playing for Queensland like his son, but that’s OK, we’ll take GI.
Jamie Lyon (three from ten)
Lyon scored an Origin try on debut and won three of his first four games. But then he lost his next six straight to make the list.
John Ferguson (two from eight)
‘Chicka’ was another to win his first couple and then lose six straight across 1988 and 1989 against possibly the best pre-dynasty Maroons team.
Matthew Johns (none from four)
Even worse, three of these teams included his brother. Johns debuted in 1995, losing twice during that remarkable upset series. He returned in 1998, losing Game 1 then being left out of Game 2 when NSW squared the series, before returning to help lose the decider.
Mitchell Pearce (five from 18)
Nothing further to be said. Came up against future Immortals everywhere he looked and how was he to know that Billy Slater had slipped a magnet into the football in every single game he played.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Shane Webcke (eight wins and two draws from 21)
The old war horse had a long and oddly mixed Origin career. Despite only winning eight from 21 games, he actually won four from seven series between 1998 and 2004, courtesy of two drawn deciders and winning the right games.
Steve Walters (five from 14)
This was a massive surprise. The best hooker before Cameron Smith won only one Origin series as he ran into the best ever NSW side in the early to mid 1990s. Missed Queensland’s 1995 series due to Super League and duly returned in the losing 1996 series.
Craig Young (one from five)
‘Albert’ played in the first ever Origin as well as the entire 1982 series won by Queensland. He returned for one more loss in 1984.
Brad Thorn (one win and one draw from 11)
The hulking second-rower played eight Origin games and left the code for five years, before enjoying his lone victory in 2005. But he lost his next two and the series to fade away just as Queensland were coming into their own.
Gordon Tallis (five wins and two draws from 17)
The Raging Bull had plenty of moments on the highlights reel, but not so many good times on the scoreboard during a very strong NSW era. He had the honour of captaining the Maroons to their worst ever series defeat in 2000.
Ray Price (two from eight)
The great Ray Price did not have the greatest Origin career, even though at the same time his club side Parramatta were sweeping all before them. He played eight games between 1981 and 1984, scored no points and NSW did not win a series until after he was left out.
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