Interstate Rugby League in Australia (1908–1981) explained

Interstate Series
Folded:1981
Teams:2
Most Champs: New South Wales
Count:54
Replaced:State of Origin series
Inaugural:1908
Sport:Rugby League
Champion: New South Wales
Season:1981

The Interstate Rugby League Series refers to Australian Rugby league matches played between the New South Wales rugby league team, colloquially known as the 'Blues', and the Queensland rugby league team, known as the 'Maroons', between 1908 and 1981. The Interstate Series concept was based upon the state of residency of the player, however, due to NSW dominance from 1962 to 1981 winning 20 straight Interstate titles, the State of Origin concept was initiated in 1980, and after two exhibition matches, succeeded the Interstate Series in 1982.

History

Since the beginning of Australian rugby league in 1908, an interstate competition between New South Wales and Queensland has been conducted from almost annually (not in WWI, Spanish Flu and WWII). Until 1982 each team drew its players from the clubs based in that state. No consideration was given to the origins of the players themselves.

The first of these interstate games was played at Sydney's Agricultural Ground on 11 July 1908, before Queensland had even commenced its club competition. New South Wales easily accounted for Queensland in a 43–0 victory. The local media were unimpressed.

There can be no doubt the NSW men are improving a good deal... They cannot be blamed for the farce, for it was nothing else. If the Australian team depends on Queenslanders to strengthen it, one is afraid it will be found wanting. They are quite the weakest lot of footballers I have even seen come down from Queensland. The play needs no detailed description as it was simply a practice match for NSW, and certainly did not advantageously advertise the new game.

–The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 July 1908

The interstate series was dominated by New South Wales, apart from a golden period for Queensland in the 1920s. From 1922 to 1925 Queensland defeated New South Wales 11 times in 12 matches. At the end of the 1925 season, a Kangaroo team was to be picked for touring Great Britain. Instead of announcing an Australian team dominated by Queenslanders, the Australian Rugby League Board of Control informed the media that the Rugby Football League had decided that the Kiwis would provide stronger opposition and that there would be no Australian tour. The period spanning 1922 to 1929 saw no Australian team play in Great Britain, the only such hiatus outside the two World Wars.

The New South Wales dominance of interstate football increased after 1956 when gaming machines were legalised for all registered clubs in New South Wales. This provided New South Wales football clubs with a revenue source unmatched by Queensland clubs. From this time on an increasing number of Queensland players moved to the much stronger Sydney competition, becoming ineligible for Queensland state selection. Paul Hogan famously told a Queensland Rugby League gathering in 1977 that "every time Queensland produces a good footballer, he finishes up being processed through a New South Wales poker machine."

Before 1956, NSW had won 75% and Qld only 25% of series played. From 1956 to 1981, NSW dominance soared even higher and Qld wins dwindled to only 3.8% with only 1 series win, in 1959.

Interstate Series Results (1908–1981)

During the Interstate Series era, there were 66 series played, with New South Wales winning 50, Queensland winning 10, and 6 being draws. However, on each of the 6 occasions there was a drawn series, the previous year's winner retained the title, with 4 being retained by NSW and 2 by QLD, meaning NSW won 54 titles and QLD 12 titles during the Interstate Series era.

Notable runs of consecutive titles were NSW, 20 in a row (1962–81), NSW 9 in a row in intermittent early years (1908, 1910–13, 1915, 1919–21), NSW 7 in a row around WWII (1941, 1945–50) and again in the 1950s (1952–58), NSW 6 in a row (1933–39), QLD 5 in a row (1922-26), and QLD 3 in a row (1959–61). The 1973 series was also notable for New South Wales' complete shutout of Queensland in the series, with margins of 16–0, 10-0 and 26-0 across the three games for a series margin of 52–0.

Due to many factors, anywhere between one and five games were played in a series over the course of the competition.

Year! rowspan="2"
Series WinnerMarginMatches
Game 1Game 2Game 3Game 4Game 5
1908 New South Wales2–0NSW 43–0NSW 12–3
1910 New South Wales3–0NSW 40–21NSW 32–18NSW 19–3
1911 New South Wales3–0NSW 65–9NSW 49–0NSW 32–8
1912 New South Wales2–0NSW 65–9NSW 32–4
1913 New South Wales2–0NSW 27–12NSW 21–17
1915 New South Wales2–0NSW 53–9NSW 39–6
1919 New South Wales2–0NSW 33–18NSW 12–7NSW 24–10
1920 New South Wales1–0NSW 40–18
1921 New South Wales2–0NSW 37–11NSW 34–20
1922 Queensland1–0QLD 25–9
1923 Queensland2–0QLD 18–13QLD 25–10
1924 Queensland3–0QLD 22–20QLD 20–7QLD 36–6
1925 Queensland4–1QLD 23–15QLD 27–13NSW 27–16QLD 26–8QLD 23–18
1926 Queensland3–2NSW 30–17NSW 5–3QLD 26–11QLD 38–0QLD 37–19
1927 New South Wales3–1NSW 14–10NSW 13–11QLD 11–7NSW 15–11
1928 Queensland3–1QLD 25–9NSW 16–7QLD 28–17QLD 21–10
1929 New South Wales5–0NSW 21–8NSW 17–8NSW 12–10NSW 16–14NSW 11–8
1930 New South Wales2–1NSW 16–11QLD 25–11NSW 15–12
1931 Queensland3–2NSW 39–17QLD 23–20NSW 28–6QLD 15–8QLD 4–3
1932 Queensland2–0QLD 23–15Draw 9–9QLD 19–9
1933 New South Wales3–1NSW 24–0NSW 15–13NSW 17–14QLD 10–8
1934 New South Wales(draw, retain title)2–2NSW 13–0NSW 42–9QLD 14–10Draw 25–25QLD 22–20
1935 New South Wales4–1NSW 33–16NSW 18–14NSW 51–8QLD 22–20NSW 23–9
1936 New South Wales3–0NSW 30–13NSW 24–13NSW 16–14
1937 New South Wales3–0NSW 21–9NSW 31–3NSW 16–11
1938 New South Wales2–1NSW 20–19NSW 44–7QLD 36–22
1939 New South Wales(draw, retain title)2–2NSW 50–15NSW 54–13QLD 29–13QLD 23–13
1940 Queensland3–1NSW 52–11QLD 19–16QLD 45–8QLD 23–15
1941 New South Wales3–1NSW 18–14NSW 44–10NSW 23–16QLD 27–21
1945 New South Wales2–0NSW 37–12NSW 30–19
1946 New South Wales3–0NSW 46–10NSW 24–6NSW 30–14
1947 New South Wales2–1NSW 29–15QLD 18–9NSW 22–10Draw 13–13
1948 New South Wales3–1NSW 23–9NSW 17–15QLD 9–8NSW 17–13
1949 New South Wales4–0NSW 19–3NSW 33–3NSW 44–20NSW 33–13
1950 New South Wales2–0NSW 45–12Draw 9–9NSW 25–5
1951 Queensland2–1QLD 29–18NSW 31–8QLD 39–23
1952 New South Wales3–0NSW 18–17NSW 27–10NSW 38–17
1953 New South Wales(draw, retain title)2–2NSW 26–15NSW 27–16QLD 32–23QLD 22–13
1954 New South Wales4–0NSW 26–23NSW 18–13NSW 46–7NSW 26–21
1955 New South Wales(draw, retain title)2–2NSW 17–15QLD 30–28NSW 25–18QLD 34–12
1956 New South Wales3–1NSW 28–26QLD 28–20NSW 26–18NSW 23–19
1957 New South Wales4–0NSW 49–11NSW 29–12NSW 69–5NSW 45–12
1958 New South Wales3–0NSW 25–14NSW 29–20NSW 23–15
1959 Queensland3–1QLD 17–15NSW 24–14QLD 23–11QLD 18–14
1960 Queensland(draw, retain title)2–2NSW 22–21QLD 17–12QLD 13–0NSW 33–14
1961 Queensland(draw, retain title)2–2NSW 21–20NSW 18–2QLD 15–2QLD 20–17
1962 New South Wales3–0NSW 28–8NSW 19–14NSW 25–12Draw 19–19
1963 New South Wales4–0NSW 20–10NSW 53–7NSW 31–5NSW 13–5
1964 New South Wales4–0NSW 28–12NSW 41–3NSW 31–5NSW 22–11
1965 New South Wales4–0NSW 31–7NSW 22–4NSW 30–9NSW 22–15
1966 New South Wales4–0NSW 16–6NSW 28–10NSW 28–20NSW 27–3
1967 New South Wales2–1NSW 14–8NSW 28–9Draw 16–16QLD 13–11
1968 New South Wales2–1NSW 30–7QLD 15–8NSW 29–11
1969 New South Wales4–0NSW 26–0NSW 32–13NSW 33–17NSW 22–12
1970 New South Wales3–1QLD 16–15NSW 22–8NSW 34–8NSW 32–15
1971 New South Wales3–0NSW 12–3NSW 30–2NSW 17–15
1972 New South Wales2–0NSW 29–5NSW 27–6
1973 New South Wales3–0NSW 16–0NSW 10–0NSW 26–0
1974 New South Wales1–0NSW 22–13Draw 13–13Draw 4–4
1975 New South Wales2–1QLD 14–8NSW 27–18NSW 9–8
1976 New South Wales3–0NSW 33–9NSW 10–5NSW 15–13
1977 New South Wales2–0NSW 19–3NSW 14–13
1978 New South Wales3–0NSW 25–19NSW 12–11NSW 28–12
1979 New South Wales3–0NSW 30–5NSW 31–7NSW 35–20
1980 New South Wales2–0NSW 35–3NSW 17–7Origin game
1981 New South Wales2–0NSW 10–2NSW 22–9Origin game
Source:[1]

State of Origin (1980-present)

See main article: State of Origin series.

Conception of State of Origin football

By the 1970s the prestige of interstate matches had been seriously downgraded, in most part due to the fact that a number of Queensland players signed to NSW clubs could not unseat the NSW incumbent and also were not eligible for Queensland selection, so they did not play at all. Matches were played mid-week, so as not to interfere with the Sydney club competition, and the small crowds in New South Wales were hosted at suburban grounds.[2] Interstate football reached its nadir in 1977 when the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) declined to host the Queensland team, and both interstate games were played in Queensland.

Former Queensland captain and Australian vice-captain Jack Reardon, who had later become a journalist, was the first to suggest that Sydney-based Queenslanders should be available for selection to represent their state.[3]

Brisbane Courier-Mail reporter Hugh Lunn, Barry Maranta (the future co-founder of the Brisbane Broncos) and Maranta's business partner Wayne Reid played a part in persuading QRL chairman Ron McAullife that the concept could be used in rugby league. Lunn told McAullife that "you can take the Queenslander out of Queensland, Ron, but you can't take the Queensland out of the Queenslander." McAuliffe was initially skeptical. "What if we recall our boys from Sydney to play, and we are beaten. Where would we go from there?" Reid spoke to NSWRFL president Kevin Humphreys and suggested that a one-off state of origin match could be used as a Test Match selection trial.

New South Wales clubs were reticent in their support of the concept and set two conditions:

Three Sydney clubs remained opposed to the plan: St. George Dragons, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Eastern Suburbs Roosters. As these clubs were refusing to release players, Humphreys threatened to make the game an official Australian Rugby League trial, which would make release mandatory. The clubs backed down.

Results

State of Origin series
YearWinnerWinsLossesDrawnShield holder
1982QLD210QLD
1983QLD210QLD
1984QLD210QLD
1985NSW210NSW
1986NSW300NSW
1987QLD210QLD
1988QLD300QLD
1989QLD300QLD
1990NSW210NSW
1991QLD210QLD
1992NSW210NSW
1993NSW210NSW
1994NSW210NSW
1995QLD300QLD
1996NSW300NSW
1997NSW210NSW
1998QLD210QLD
1999Draw111QLD
2000NSW300NSW
2001QLD210QLD
2002Draw111QLD
2003NSW210NSW
2004NSW210NSW
2005NSW210NSW
2006QLD210QLD
2007QLD210QLD
2008QLD210QLD
2009QLD210QLD
2010QLD300QLD
2011QLD210QLD
2012QLD210QLD
2013QLD210QLD
2014NSW210NSW
2015QLD210QLD
2016QLD210QLD
2017QLD210QLD
2018NSW210NSW
2019NSW210NSW
2020QLD210QLD
2021NSW210NSW
2022QLD210QLD
2023QLD210QLD
State of Origin non-series matches
YearWinnerWinsLossesDrawn
1980QLD100
1981QLD100
1987NSW100

Overall Results

Including the Interstate Series and State of Origin results, NSW has won 70 titles, and Queensland has won 37 titles. The all-time record of games played is 347 with New South Wales having 216 wins, Queensland 121 wins, and 10 matches have been drawn.

StateInterstate Series (1908–1981)State of Origin (1982–present)*Total
WonLostDrawnSeries WonRetained TitleTitlesWonLostDrawnSeries WonRetained TitleTitlesWonLostDrawnSeries WonRetained TitleTitles
NSW1595485045457672160162161211066470
Queensland5415981021267572232251212161033437
Asterisk (*): includes 1980, 1981 and 1987 exhibition game results in Win-Loss-Draw columns even though they were not part of any series

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Interstate Matches - Results - Rugby League Project . 2022-07-13 . www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
  2. Book: Middleton, David . League of Legends: 100 Years of Rugby League in Australia . National Museum of Australia . 2008 . 9781876944643 . 27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110317093000/http://www.nma.gov.au/shared/libraries/attachments/league_of_legends/rugby_league_a_work_in_progress/files/22453/F_RL_work_in_progress.pdf . 17 March 2011 . dead.
  3. Book: Gallaway, Jack . Origin: Rugby League's greatest contest 1980–2002 . University of Queensland Press . 2003 . 9780702233838 . Australia . xi.

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