By Wayne Heming QUEENSLANDER, QUEENSLANDER!! Memories of FOG #75 Billy Moore screaming “QUEENSLANDER, QUEENSLANDER” in the Sydney Football Stadium tunnel before an Origin game almost 28 years ago to the day, still stir the emotions of maroon fans. It was one of those very special moments which has become part of Origin folklore.
By Wayne Heming Centre partners Evania Pelite and Shenae Ciesiolka are Queensland’s “golden girls” of State Of Origin sharing a unique piece of sporting fame. They both won Olympic gold medals playing rugby union. Pelite, 27, won her gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics while Ciesiolka, 25, won a gold medal at the 2014 Summer
By Wayne Heming A crushing Origin statistic has turned up the heat on both Queensland and NSW coaches to win game one of the interstate series at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday night. There have been 41 series between the two states since the best-of-three concept was introduced in 1982 but one particular statistic is so
By Wayne Heming The opening game of this year’s interstate series against NSW in Adelaide will be very special for Queensland Origin captain Daly Cherry-Evans. The 34-year-old halfback, who is advancing on 300 NRL club games for Manly, will join an elite group of Queensland players who are already recipients of the prestigious FOGS Dick
By Wayne Heming Brisbane Broncos sensation Reece Walsh will make his belated debut for Queensland after claiming the fullback job for the first game of the interstate series against NSW at Adelaide Oval on May 31. Reece was named ahead of Newcastle incumbent Kalyn Ponga who suffered another head knock on the weekend but
By Wayne Heming FOG# 193 Ben Hunt brings up NRL game number 300 at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday hoping to celebrate the rare career milestone by steering the St George-Illawarra Dragons to a much-needed win against North Queensland. Hunt will become just the 47th player in NRL-ARL history to join the 300-game club.
By Wayne Heming Valentine Holmes could join maroon greats Mal Meninga and Johnathan Thurston in Origin’s Centurion Club if he scores 14 or more points in the upcoming three-game interstate series. Only two of the 227 players who have pulled on Queensland jumper since Arthur Beetson, FOG#1 in 1980, have scored 100 or more Origin
By Wayne Heming Andrew Gee’s relationship with Wayne Bennett was far more than just a player-coach bond. Gee played every one of his 255 NRL games under Bennett. It’s fair to say he would have taken a bullet for his coach who in turn trusted him completely whenever he needed a job done. Gee’s loyalty
Queensland has done a great job re-stocking its State of Origin player shelves since the departure of so many stalwarts from its golden era when the state claimed a record eight straight interstate series. Over recent years, Queensland has farewelled some of its finest, many of them, including former captains Cameron Smith (FOG#140, 42 games)
The broken hearts of the state’s rugby league fans have been dealt another blow, with the news that iconic former Queensland and Australian Test captain Barry Muir has passed away at the age of 84. While Barry played for and coached Queensland in the pre-Origin era, he left an indelible mark on the game, being
