The Origin of "State of Origin"

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

While 'State of Origin' rugby league is a relatively modern fixture on Australia's sporting calendar, it is surprising to learn that the first call for NSW and Queensland football teams to pick home-grown talent was way back in 1900.

Stephen "Lonnie" Spragg. Star NSW player moved to Queensland.

Ironically, the suggestion came about because a star NSW rugby footballer moved to Queensland. Writing in The Referee in the winter of 1900, 'The Cynic' lamented the absence of 'the brilliant young footballer' Stephen 'Lonnie' Spragg from the NSW rugby team for the upcoming matches against Queensland.

Spragg was a side-stepping centre/winger who had starred for Australia in the Test series against a visiting British team the year before.

Only 20 years old, Spragg played in all four Test matches. He was also a prodigious goal kicker, rated as perhaps the greatest, until he was surpassed a few seasons later by Dally Messenger.

In the summer of 1899/1900 Spragg moved to Rockhampton in Queensland. "It will be a great pity if such a fine player as Spragg be unavailable for this year's inter-colonial matches," The Cynic wrote. "Even though residing in Rockhampton I am of the opinion he should play for NSW. The time has arrived, I think, for the observance of [such] a qualification for players in inter-colonial matches."

While The Cynic was genuinely pining for Spragg to appear in a light-blue jersey, he was equally fearful of seeing him in maroon colours - his concerns were well-founded. Spragg amassed 70 points for Queensland between 1900 and 1902, as he led his new home colony/state to a strong period of success against NSW. Sadly, Spragg died in Brisbane in early 1904 'after a brief illness'. He was only 24. Had he lived, perhaps he would have joined rugby league alongside many of his contemporaries in 1907 and 1908.

The Cynic's idea was not really that remarkable - rugby union players in Britain at the time could only play for the Home nation of their birth (Wales, Scotland, Ireland or England) rather than where they were resident. Ireland and Scotland often called on players from England's 'London Irish' and 'London Scottish' clubs. When the first Welsh rugby league team was formed (in 1907), the majority of its players came from clubs in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

However, rugby league in Australia was built on 'residential qualifications' - the district club and state where you lived was who you played for. The concept of playing NSW v Queensland matches under 'state of birth' rules did not begin to emerge until the 1960s.

In the decade after World War Two, the introduction of money-making poker machines in NSW Leagues clubs led to their football clubs being given huge cash grants. The football fields of Queensland became a nursery for the Sydney clubs, as they sought out the best players and offered them financial rewards impossible to refuse. Due to government restraints, the Brisbane clubs could not develop Leagues clubs along the lines used south of the border.

In 1959 Queensland won its last ever (traditional) series against NSW. The Maroons held on for drawn series in 1960 and '61, but then went into decline as their resources rapidly depleted. A never-ending flow of Queenslanders followed the money trail into NSW competitions, particularly Sydney.

What really antagonised Queenslanders, was seeing some of their own born-and-bred players in the NSW teams that were defeating them. There are anecdotal claims that Queensland supporters at inter-state matches began to suggest the Maroons should be able to call on 'their' players for selection.

The first to make any reference to the idea in print was Jack Reardon in the Courier-Mail in 1964. An Australian Test representative, Reardon had played for both states in the 1930s. In the wake of NSW's 41-3 win on 2 June 1964 at the SCG, Reardon wrote that during the match "someone in the press seats suggested that Queensland should be allowed to call on their former players now with Sydney clubs."

However, Reardon dismissed the concept as too difficult to organise. "It's an idea, but not possible," he wrote. "Imagine the outcry from the Sydney clubs who have paid out the money for these players."

Inter-state action from the 1950s. NSW's Norm Provan tackles Qld's Ken McCaffery, with Keith Holman (left). The referee is Col Pearce.

In 1966, Ken Thornett (a 1963 Kangaroo tourist) became the first to publicly push for Origin style matches.

Thornett, in his book Tackling Rugby wrote that, "Annual inter-state fixtures are suffering a slow death." Thornett was convinced that if no action was taken "Queensland's role will be merely secondary."

"Inter-state matches could be revitalised by allowing former Queenslanders to play for their state. The present imbalance of playing strength between the two states is an embarrassment all round."

Thornett stated that if the Sydney based players were mixed "together with the best of the current crop of Queenslanders, they would make NSW battle every inch of the way. If our administrators intend to persist with inter-state fixtures then it would be only fair to all concerned that transferred Queenslanders be declared eligible to play for their home state."

Thornett's prediction of Queensland's decline had become reality by the late 1970s. In 1977 the NSWRL refused to host any inter-state matches, and the following season consigned the contest to suburban Leichhardt Oval. After 96 points were racked up against Queensland in the three-match 1979 series, Lawrie Kavanagh resurrected the Origin concept in the Courier-Mail.

Kavanagh wrote that Queenslanders "are getting sick and tired of hearing and reading about Queensland losing its best players to Sydney year in and year out. Even the most ardent Queensland supporter is accepting the fact that Queensland is not in a position to beat NSW under the present one-way traffic to Sydney. A major suggestion now is a state-of-origin series."

The Maroons' problem was only partially that they were facing former Queenslanders in the NSW team - the 1979 Blues team had less than a handful - what they really needed was access to the Queensland players right across the Sydney clubs.

The head of the QRL, Ron McAuliffe, was reluctant to take up the Origin concept. He placed confidence in the future of Queensland in his rising youngsters, headed by Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga. He was also uncomfortable with rewarding 'disloyal' Queenslanders resident in Sydney with a maroon jersey.

However, by the end of 1979, a chance meeting with Queensland journalist Hugh Lunn turned McAuliffe around. Lunn again put the Origin suggestion to McAuliffe. They examined the pitfalls including what would happen to inter-state rugby league if Queensland lost the Origin contest as well, would Sydney clubs release players, and would these 'ex-Queenslanders' even want to wear a Maroon jersey?

Ultimately, they agreed there was no real risk as inter-state games could sink no lower. A simple statement from Lunn - that has proven time and again to be true of Origin - eventually convinced McAuliffe: "There is no such thing as an ex-Queenslander."

McAuliffe though still backed his young players to come through in 1980. He told Lunn that only if Queensland lost the first two matches would he push the ARL for an Origin contest in the 'dead-rubber'.

Ultimately, McAuliffe's faith in Lewis and Meninga would deliver the goods, but not in 1980. NSW duly won the first two matches.

Immediately after the second game (May 28) the news was released that a 'State of Origin' match would be played on July 8 at Lang Park. McAuliffe confidently predicted a sell-out crowd of 35,000 and the resurgence of Queensland rugby league, while Sydneysiders called it a non-event.

Thanks largely to the efforts of ARL Chairman Kevin Humphreys, the Sydney clubs released their Queensland players and the contest took place. He also ensured the match was treated as an ARL selection trial - providing an extra incentive for players of Queensland origin to make themselves available.

Eighty years after The Cynic's first suggestion for players to return home for inter-state matches, State of Origin had arrived.

For information on the discussions between Lunn and McAuliffe
see 'League of a Nation', edited by David Headon and Lex Marinos (1996, ABC Books)