State of Origin blast from the past: Game III, 1983

By JTithers on July 17, 2024

Why 1983?

Because in keeping with tonight's theme, it was the first decider to be played at Lang Park.

Although, history will show that the inaugural 3-game series in 1982 was the first to feature a deciding Game III, which Queensland won 10-5 at the SCG, thanks in part to the Blues making no fewer than 27 errors with ball in hand.

The first 2 games of the 1983 series were vastly different experiences, as Queensland led all the way and won Game I 24-12 at Lang Park, a game best remembered not so much for King Wally's 1st Half double, but for the crude elbow by Les Boyd on Darryl Brohman (On his Queensland debut) which ended Big Marn's chances of representing Australia, while Boyd earned an unprecedented 12-month suspension:

New South Wales then won Game II 10-6 at the SCG, a game in which the champion Parramatta Eels team fielded the entire Blues starting backline, with the exception of fullback Marty Gurr from Easts, and ultimately Eels half Peter Sterling earned the player of the match for the first time in Origin, as his performance was so good it forced his great contemporary Steve Mortimer to come off the bench and play on the wing.

Still, the Blues were devoid of Sterling due to injury in Game III, and it seemed to show on the scoreboard, as the decider looked like a contest between the hammer and the nail, as the Wally Lewis-led Queensland, coached by Arthur Beetson, streaked clear to lead 21-0 at Half time, then led 33-0 at one stage of the 2nd Half, before the Blues scored some late consolation tries to make the final score a thoroughly convincing 43-22 win to Queensland, retaining the Origin shield for the fourth year running.

Still, among those consolation tries, future supercoach Chris Anderson became the first player to score a hat-trick in a State of Origin match - The first Queenslander to achieve the honour would be Manly winger Kerry Boustead in Game I of 1984.

Amazingly, the only Queenslander to score multiple tries in their 7-try performance was Mitch Brennan with a double, in what was the last of his 4 Origin appearances.

On another note, 43 points marked Queensland's greatest score in an Origin match throughout the first 35 years of State of Origin, until the Maroons won 52-6 in the legendary deciding Game III massacre in 2015, which stands as the only time the Maroons have scored a half-century in Origin.

So yes, that was Game III of 1983, the first Origin decider ever played at Lang Park, which wasn't really that memorable for anyone except Queenslanders.