It’s been 30 years since Paul “Fatty” Vautin led the ARL-aligned Queenslanders to an unlikely State of Origin series win.
While Origin has been going for four decades, arguably the most iconic series was also the most surprising.
The Super League War looked like decimating the 1995 Origin series, with Super League-aligned players banned.
Queensland lost their usual Broncos contingent and the ARL-aligned South Queensland Crushers and the Gold Coast Seagulls were struggling in the 1995 Winfield Cup. Wayne Bennett was set to replace Wally Lewis as coach, but stepped down and was replaced by Vautin (who was then known as the beloved host of the Sydney Footy Show).
New South Wales were in a far stronger position: Phil Gould was the coach and they had plenty of talent from ARL-aligned Sydney clubs.
On the back of three straight series wins (1992 to 1994), surely the Blues would comfortably secure a fourth?
GAME 1: QUEENSLAND 2 d NEW SOUTH WALES 0 – SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM
This opening game was known for having the lowest points total in Origin history and also for Billy Moore’s famous “Queenslander” cries.
Considering the mismatch in talent, it’s no surprise that NSW had most of the try-scoring opportunities. Rod Wishart caught an Andrew Johns cross-field bomb in the opening minutes, but was bundled into touch before he could ground the footy; Terry Hill was denied twice in the second half (once from a forward pass and then held up); while a Jim Sedaris grubber went dead in-goal as NSW were pressing for points in the final minutes.
Wayne Bartim scored the only points with a penalty goal in the 31st minute, though he missed two other shots (21st minute and 73rd minute) that would have given the Maroons some breathing space. Wishart missed a penalty goal in the 13th minute that could have given NSW some early momentum.
Embed from Getty ImagesGAME 2: QUEENSLAND 20 d NEW SOUTH WALES 12 – MCG
Over 52,000 turned up to the MCG to watch Queensland seal their “miracle” series win. It was a smaller crowd compared to 1994 (87,161), likely due to the lack of Super League players and the general drama around rugby league.
The fans who showed up saw one of the most physical and spiteful Origins of the 1990s. An all-in brawl erupted in the third minute: to quote Ray Warren on Channel 9’s coverage, “We’ve seen plenty of this in Origin; this is one of the best!”
Mark Coyne scored the first try of the series in the 14th minute, chasing a Jason Smith chip kick that was knocked on by Tim Brasher. Bartrim and Wishart traded penalty goals as Queensland led 8-2 at half-time.
Brett Rodwell scored NSW’s first try to cut Queensland’s lead to 8-6, before another Bartrim penalty goal pushed it out to 10-6. A Robbie O’Davis try was disallowed before Adrian Lam scored in the 66th minute to give Queensland a 14-6 lead.
NSW gave themselves a big chance to level the series when Jim Sedaris scored with five minutes left. Then came arguably the most controversial moment: after Steve Menzies was held up, NSW got the scrum feed and Brasher went over. But Eddie Ward ruled that Brad Fittler’s pass was forward, though replays suggested the Blues were unlucky. With today’s technology, would that ruling have been overturned?
Brett Dallas made sure of the victory with a 90-metre run from dummy half, though the eight-point margin didn’t reflect how close this game had been.
Embed from Getty ImagesGAME 3: QUEENSLAND 24 d NEW SOUTH WALES 16 – SUNCORP STADIUM
While the series was over, Queensland wanted the “Maroonwash”. And the old Lang Park was the perfect place to do it. Maroons captain Trevor Gillmeister (then playing for the Crushers) got out of a hospital bed to play after cutting his knee during Origin II.
Jason Smith gave Queensland an early 6-0 lead. After being denied a few times, NSW finally made the bright yellow football sing (remember the yellow football for Brisbane Origins?) for Brasher to score.
Wishart benefited for some luck for the Blues’ second try, picking up a loose pass from Brasher to give NSW a 10-6 lead close to the break.
But Queensland found a way to score when they needed to: Danny Moore gave the Maroons a 12-10 half-time lead.
NSW regained the lead a minute into the second half through Adam Muir.
Dallas scored another long-range try to give Queensland the lead with 30 minutes left, running 50 metres off a Jason Smith inside pass.
Queensland defended their 18-16 lead until the 18-year-old Ben Ikin (who Vautin didn’t recognise at the start of the series) sealed the win. Ikin capitalised on his Origin moment, playing 150 games for the Seagulls, North Sydney, and Brisbane, 17 Origins, and two Tests for Australia.
Embed from Getty ImagesTHE 1995 SERIES LEGACY
New South Wales ensured Queensland’s 3-0 win was a one-off.
With the Super League players back for 1996, the Blues won 3-0, as Gus got revenge on Fatty.
The game was split into Super League and ARL in 1997, but the ARL Blues (under Tommy Raudonikis) learnt from their 1995 mistakes with a 2-1 series win. This was Vautin’s final Origin series, finishing with a 4-5 record.
Vautin returned to the Sydney Footy Show and stayed there until 2017 (and as Channel 9 commentator until 2024), and is arguably one of the most popular rugby league personalities: happy to play the clown but also provide serious analysis when needed.
Queensland have continued to embrace their underdog status – when needed – in the following 30 years. The Maroons’ eight straight series wins (2006-2013) began after NSW had won three in a row (2003-2005). During the 2020s, the Blues had the bulk of Penrith’s superstar sides, but Queensland won three out of five series’. After Queensland won the 2020 series 2-1, Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans said, “And on behalf of the worst ever Queensland team, thank you very much.”
Embed from Getty Images
