1983 Rugby League State of Origin series
Encyclopedia
The 1983 State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...

 series
was the 2nd annual interstate representative series between rivals New South Wales and Queensland to be played under "state of origin" selection rules.


Game I

Game I of 1983 was refereed leniently by Barry Gomersall who had "controlled" his previous Origin fixture (game II, 1982) in a similar fashion. Penrith's
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...

 Darryl Brohman
Darryl Brohman
Darryl Brohman is an Australian former rugby league footballer, commentator and media personality. Brohman is best known for his time playing for the Penrith Panthers and the Queensland rugby league team...

 was making his Origin debut and had been considered a strong possibility to force his way into the Australian national side due to play New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...

 a few days later. Early in the first half Brohman's jaw was broken by a sickening elbow from Blues' second-rower Les Boyd
Les Boyd
Les Boyd is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played representative football for the Australian national side in international matches as well as the New South Wales side in the State of Origin...

 which sidelined him for the rest of the season. Gomersall awarded a penalty for the high shot, but allowed Boyd to stay on the field.

Boyd was later cited by the judiciary and received a twelve month suspension - the first of two massive barrings that eventually saw him relocate his career to England. It was to be Boyd's last representative appearance after 17 Tests and two Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...

s. Brohman meanwhile spent three months on the sideline nursing the injury and never represented for Australia.

On the scoreboard Wally Lewis
Wally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...

 took control of the match. He scored twice in the first half and with Mal Meninga
Mal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century...

 landing the conversions and potting three penalty goals, the Maroons lead 18-0 after 30 minutes and were able to ward off a magnificent New South Wales comeback.

Game II

For game II of 1983 every member of the Blues' backline, excepting fullback Marty Gurr
Marty Gurr
Marty Gurr is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s & 1980's. He played in the New South Wales Rugby League competition...

 came from the defending premiers, the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...

. Players then were required to represent their clubs in the season rounds between Origin clashes and a number of New South Wales players from game I were injured in that weekend's round and unavailable for game II. The Eels backline consisted of Neil Hunt
Neil Hunt
Neil Hunt is a former professional rugby league player in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. He primarily played on the wing....

, Mick Cronin
Mick Cronin (rugby league)
Michael William "Mick" Cronin OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982...

, Steve Ella
Steve Ella
Steve Ella is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. He was a utility back for the Australian national team, playing in 4 Tests between 1983 and 1985...

, Eric Grothe, Sr.
Eric Grothe, Sr.
Eric "Guru" Grothe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. A New South Wales and Australian representative winger, he played club football for the Parramatta Eels with whom he won four NSWRL premierships...

, Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4...

 and Peter Sterling
Peter Sterling
Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...

. The club also provided forwards Ray Price and Stan Jurd
Stan Jurd
Stan Jurd, born November 22, 1958, is a former professional rugby league player for the North Sydney Bears and Parramatta Eels in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. Jurd primarily played in the front-row....

 giving them eight of the Blues' 15 players.

The match became a battle of attrition on a muddy SCG
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...

 and the Blues kept the series alive with a 10-6 victory in which the Parramatta connection scored all the points - tries to Hunt and Ella, converted by Cronin. For Queensland Mal Meninga
Mal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century...

 scored and converted a try.

Peter Sterling
Peter Sterling
Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...

 continued his ongoing selection battle with Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer OAM, , nicknamed Turvey after Turvey Park in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where he hailed from, is an Australian former rugby league halfback. Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown club record 272 first grade games between 1976–88. Mortimer's two younger brothers Peter and Chris...

 and fully repaid the selectors' confidence masterfully orchestrating the Blues' play and winning the first of his four Origin man-of-the-match awards.

Game III

The series decider at Lang Park was billed as "the clash of the decade" but Lewis was brilliant and the game was never a contest. Queensland led 21-0 at half-time and 33-0 before the Blues scored four late consolation tries.

The 43-22 Maroons victory was the biggest since 1955 and set the standing record for the most points scored by Queensland in an Origin match and also featured another record - the first time three tries were scored by a single player in an Origin match (by Blues' winger Chris Anderson). Another record was set a week later when Queensland had nine players selected in the Australian side to meet the Kiwis.

Peter Sterling
Peter Sterling
Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...

 missed the deciding game due to injury and with Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer OAM, , nicknamed Turvey after Turvey Park in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where he hailed from, is an Australian former rugby league halfback. Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown club record 272 first grade games between 1976–88. Mortimer's two younger brothers Peter and Chris...

 nipping at his heels it proved an expensive absence enabling Mortimer to go on to retain the New South Wales position, win back his Australian jumper and keep Sterling at bay in their representative rivalry for the next two years.

New South Wales

Position Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
Fullback Greg Brentnall
Greg Brentnall
Greg Brentnall is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. An Australian international and New South Wales representative fullback and winger, he played for Canterbury-Bankstown in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, winning the 1980 grand final with...

Marty Gurr
Marty Gurr
Marty Gurr is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s & 1980's. He played in the New South Wales Rugby League competition...

Wing Chris Anderson Neil Hunt
Neil Hunt
Neil Hunt is a former professional rugby league player in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. He primarily played on the wing....

Centre Phil Sigsworth
Phil Sigsworth
Phil Sigsworth is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played primarily in the fullback position.-Playing career:...

Mick Cronin
Mick Cronin (rugby league)
Michael William "Mick" Cronin OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982...

Centre Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4...

Steve Ella
Steve Ella
Steve Ella is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. He was a utility back for the Australian national team, playing in 4 Tests between 1983 and 1985...

Wing Eric Grothe, Sr.
Eric Grothe, Sr.
Eric "Guru" Grothe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. A New South Wales and Australian representative winger, he played club football for the Parramatta Eels with whom he won four NSWRL premierships...

Chris Anderson
Five-Eighth Alan Thompson
Alan Thompson (rugby league)
Alan Thompson is a former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. He primarily played at five-eighth....

Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4...

Halfback Peter Sterling
Peter Sterling
Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...

Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer OAM, , nicknamed Turvey after Turvey Park in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where he hailed from, is an Australian former rugby league halfback. Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown club record 272 first grade games between 1976–88. Mortimer's two younger brothers Peter and Chris...

Prop Geoff Gerard
Geoff Gerard
Geoff Gerard is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played his club football with Sydney clubs Parramatta, Manly-Warringah and Penrith, and also spent time with Engish clubs...

Geoff Bugden
Geoff Bugden
Geoff Bugden is a former professional rugby league player. Bugden played for the Newtown Jets and the Parramatta Eels in the Australian New South Wales Rugby League competition...

Hooker Max Krilich
Max Krilich
Max Krilich is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He was a hooker for the Australia national team, playing in 13 Tests from 1978 to 1983 and as captain on 10 consecutive occasions in 1982 and 1983...

 (c)
Ray Brown
Ray Brown (rugby league)
Ray Brown is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played club football in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Western Suburbs Magpies and the...

Max Krilich
Max Krilich
Max Krilich is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He was a hooker for the Australia national team, playing in 13 Tests from 1978 to 1983 and as captain on 10 consecutive occasions in 1982 and 1983...

 (c)
Prop Geoff Bugden
Geoff Bugden
Geoff Bugden is a former professional rugby league player. Bugden played for the Newtown Jets and the Parramatta Eels in the Australian New South Wales Rugby League competition...

Lindsay Johnston
Lindsay Johnston
Lindsay Johnston is an Australian former professional rugby league player. Johnston was originally from Gunnedah. He played for the North Sydney Bears, Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney Rabbitohs as well as the English club, Hull KR...

Second Row Les Boyd
Les Boyd
Les Boyd is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played representative football for the Australian national side in international matches as well as the New South Wales side in the State of Origin...

Gavin Miller
Gavin Miller
Gavin John Miller is an Australian former rugby league footballer who at his peak was regarded as the most dangerous attacking force in the NSWRL owing to his great ball skills...

Stan Jurd
Stan Jurd
Stan Jurd, born November 22, 1958, is a former professional rugby league player for the North Sydney Bears and Parramatta Eels in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. Jurd primarily played in the front-row....

Second Row Wayne Pearce
Wayne Pearce
Wayne John Pearce OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. An athletic Lock Forward for the Balmain Tigers, he was affectionately known as 'Junior'...

Paul Field
Paul Field (rugby league)
Paul Field is a former rugby league player for the New South Wales Blues. His position of choice was at hooker.Field was selected to represent New South Wales directly from the New South Wales Country Rugby League, one of only three players to be selected straight from a country club to play for...

Lock Ray Price Ray Price (c) Gavin Miller
Gavin Miller
Gavin John Miller is an Australian former rugby league footballer who at his peak was regarded as the most dangerous attacking force in the NSWRL owing to his great ball skills...

Replacement Steve Ella
Steve Ella
Steve Ella is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. He was a utility back for the Australian national team, playing in 4 Tests between 1983 and 1985...

Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer
Steve Mortimer OAM, , nicknamed Turvey after Turvey Park in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where he hailed from, is an Australian former rugby league halfback. Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown club record 272 first grade games between 1976–88. Mortimer's two younger brothers Peter and Chris...

Kevin Hastings
Kevin Hastings
Kevin 'Horrie' Hastings is an Australian retired multi-award winning rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played in Australia's New South Wales Rugby League Football Competition...

Replacement Ray Brown
Ray Brown (rugby league)
Ray Brown is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played club football in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Western Suburbs Magpies and the...

Stan Jurd
Stan Jurd
Stan Jurd, born November 22, 1958, is a former professional rugby league player for the North Sydney Bears and Parramatta Eels in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. Jurd primarily played in the front-row....

Ray Brown
Ray Brown (rugby league)
Ray Brown is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played club football in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Western Suburbs Magpies and the...

Coach Ted Glossop
Ted Glossop
Ted Glossop was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the St. George Dragons then went on to become a first-grade coach with Cronulla-Sutherland, Canterbury-Bankstown and St. George....


Queensland

Position Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
Fullback Colin Scott
Colin Scott (rugby league)
Colin Scott is an Indigenous Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. He played the game at but could also play . Scott was also a back-up goal kicker for the teams he played with....

Wing John Ribot
John Ribot
John Ribot is an Australian sports administrator and former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. Once a Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative winger, Ribot was the 1980 NSWRFL season's top try-scorer...

Terry Butler
Terry Butler (rugby league)
Terry Butler is an Australian former rugby league player. He played for Manly-Wynnum in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership's grand final victory in 1982 as a winger, scoring the first try of the match. The following year he was selected to represent Queensland in Game II of the 1983 State of...

Steve Stacey
Steve Stacey
-Biography:Steve Stacey made his only two appearances for Queensland in the first and last games of the 1983 series. Stacey occupied the left wing as Queensland triumphed 24-12 and 43-22 to clinch the series....

Centre Mal Meninga
Mal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century...

Centre Gene Miles
Gene Miles
Gene Miles is a retired Australian rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative centre, he played his club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership before joining the Brisbane Broncos whom he captained.-BRL:A...

Wing Steve Stacey
Steve Stacey
-Biography:Steve Stacey made his only two appearances for Queensland in the first and last games of the 1983 series. Stacey occupied the left wing as Queensland triumphed 24-12 and 43-22 to clinch the series....

Chris Close
Chris Close
Christopher "Choppy" Close is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s, '80s and '90s. A robust three-quarter, he represented Australia internationally and Queensland in State of Origin, and played club football in Queensland and New South Wales...

Mitch Brennan
Mitch Brennan
Mitch Brennan is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. A Queensland State of Origin representative three-quarter, he played club football during the 1970s and 80s in Queensland for Souths and Redcliffe and in New South Wales for South Sydney, Canberra and St. George, with whom he...

Five-Eighth Wally Lewis
Wally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...

 (c)
Halfback Mark Murray
Mark Murray (rugby league)
Mark Murray is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He represented Australia in test matches and Queensland in the State of Origin. His position of choice was halfback...

Prop Brad Tessmann
Brad Tessmann
Brad Tessmann is an Australian former professional rugby league player.He played in Souths' loss to Wynnum-Manly in the 1982 Brisbane Rugby League premiership's grand final. Tessmann's sole Test appearance was in Australia's 19–12 loss to New Zealand while playing for Brisbane Souths in 1983...

Hooker Greg Conescu
Greg Conescu
Greg "Turtle" Conescu is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative hooker, he played all of his club football in Queensland with Norths Devils Gladstone Brothers, Redcliffe and the Brisbane...

Prop Darryl Brohman
Darryl Brohman
Darryl Brohman is an Australian former rugby league footballer, commentator and media personality. Brohman is best known for his time playing for the Penrith Panthers and the Queensland rugby league team...

Dave Brown
Dave Brown (rugby league footballer Easts Manly)
Dave Brown, was an Australian rugby league player in the 1980s, playing for Brisbane Souths, Eastern Suburbs and Manly-Warringah. He also played ten State of Origin matches for Queensland, scoring one try.He ended up playing in the Western Australian league in Perth as Captain/Coach of the...

Second Row Bryan Niebling
Bryan Niebling
Bryan Niebling is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the forwards. After a successful Brisbane Rugby League premiership and representative career for both his state and country, Niebling played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Brisbane Broncos from...

Second Row Paul Vautin
Paul Vautin
Paul Vautin , is an Australian sports television personality and former rugby league footballer and coach. He currently hosts the NRL Footy Show and provides commentary for the Nine Network's coverage of rugby league matches...

Wally Fullerton-Smith
Lock Dave Brown
Dave Brown (rugby league footballer Easts Manly)
Dave Brown, was an Australian rugby league player in the 1980s, playing for Brisbane Souths, Eastern Suburbs and Manly-Warringah. He also played ten State of Origin matches for Queensland, scoring one try.He ended up playing in the Western Australian league in Perth as Captain/Coach of the...

Paul Vautin
Paul Vautin
Paul Vautin , is an Australian sports television personality and former rugby league footballer and coach. He currently hosts the NRL Footy Show and provides commentary for the Nine Network's coverage of rugby league matches...

Replacement Brett French
Brett French
Brett French is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. A Queensland State of Origin representative, he played club football in Brisbane, Sydney and the Gold Coast...

Bruce Astill
Bruce Astill
Bruce Astill is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and '80s. A Queensland State of Origin representative three-quarter, he played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership with Souths Magpies whom he captained to victory in the 1981 Grand Final.Astill first...

Replacement Wally Fullerton-Smith Ross Henrick
Ross Henrick
Ross Henrick was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s. Nicknamed "The Angry Ant", he was a Queensland State of Origin representative halfback, and played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for Fortitude Valley, Norths and Redcliffe.Henrick played at...

Gavin Jones
Gavin Jones
Gavin Jones is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He played for Eastern Suburbs in Brisbane Rugby League premiership from age 19. He also played first-grade rugby league in New South Wales Rugby League premiership for North Sydney Bears and Cronulla Sharks.He is...

Coach Arthur Beetson
Arthur Beetson
Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson, OAM , was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He represented Australia and Queensland from 1964 to 1981. His position was at prop. Beetson became the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport. and is frequently cited as the best...


Sources

  • Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition, News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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