Official Magazine of ’s Former Origin Greats

MAGAZINE EDITION 25 AUTUMN 2015 ManY thanKS to oUr ManY thanKS to oUr SSponponSSororSS andand SUSUpporterpporterSS

FOUNDING CHAIRMAN FOUNDING CHAIRMAN RSA Turner RSA Turner

EXECUTIVEEXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN CHAIRMAN

GeneGene Miles Miles

DEPUTYDEPUTY CHAIRMEN CHAIRMEN RodRod Morris Morris JohnJohn Ribot-De-Bresac Ribot-De-Bresac

DIRECTORSDIRECTORS WallyWally Lewis, Lewis, Gavin , Allen, ChrisChris Close, Close, Mike Mike McLean, McLean, TrevorTrevor Gillmeister, Gillmeister, Mal , Meninga, GregGreg Oliphant, Oliphant, Don Don Jackson, Jackson, ShaneShane Webcke, Webcke, Andrew Gee

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RESILIENCE and perseverance While the two eras are poles “It is never about who has are qualities we all sometimes apart in many respects, there are the best players,” Fatty says. also a number of parallels between could use more of. “It’s about who can get the In the movie Rocky Balboa, the two, outside of their obvious Rocky’s son complains to his passion for the Maroons jumper. best out of themselves.” father that his job and his life have In both instances, Vautin and Or, as Balboa might say, how just become too hard. Meninga were rookie Origin hard you can get hit and keep The boxer replies with his coaches walking into situations moving forward. famous line that “life is not about most thought were hopeless. Developing that persistence how many times you get hit. It’s In both instances, Queensland and perseverance is one of the about how many times you can get was staring at the indignity of a key attributes of our successful fourth successive series defeat hit and keep moving forward”. ARTIE Academy, which reinforces against star-studded NSW teams. They are words that ring as true the importance of education and And both teams had to stand in as they do in attending school to young strong as the heavy hits kept Indigenous students. boxing, particularly when it comes coming their way, moving forward The ARTIE Academy shows to Queenslanders at State of inch by inch until finally the time Origin time. was right for them to deliver the them that the easiest path is not Queenslanders have always had knock-out blows their opponents often the best one, and how the the reputation for never giving in, never saw coming. greatest victories are the ones you for being able to find that little bit In 1995, it was guys like Terry have to fight hardest to get. extra to give, to keep working hard Cook, Craig Teevan, , It may be easier to skip school and moving forward until , Wayne Bartim, Tony and go hang out with your mates, somehow some hope is uncovered Hearn and being but the victory of a better life built from hopelessness. asked to stand alongside a handful on the back of a good education is Being asked to pull on a of veterans and deliver more for one that is worth fighting for. Queensland jumper means you are Queensland than they had to give. I am pleased that our funding being asked to look inside yourself In 2006, while names like for the ARTIE Academy, while and find a way to get the job done, Lockyer, Smith, Price, Civoniceva, reduced, has been renewed again even when it seems the gods, the Inglis, Tate, Thurston and Hodges by the Federal Government. odds and luck have all ganged up are easy to recall for their roles, it At a time when a number of against you. should never be overlooked the service providers have had their contribution that guys like Steve This edition of Queenslander funding cut completely, we are Bell, Clinton Schifcofske, Rhys Magazine is a tribute to that fortunate that the government has fighting spirit – the Queensland Wesser and made to that series win that changed our been able to see the results and spirit – by celebrating two Origin destiny. impact the ARTIE Academy has significant milestones in our Those guys answered when achieved and thus, are worthy of Origin history. Queensland called, just like the their recommitment. This year marks the 10th guys in 1995 had done. They dug The fight for us at FOGS is to series of Mal Meninga’s reign as deep and got the job done. build on that success and keep Queensland coach, and an A line from Fatty Vautin moving forward. incredible 20 years since Paul probably sums up Queensland’s Vautin’s Maroons produced the resilience and perseverance when greatest upset in Origin history faced with huge challenges like we Executive Chairman with a series clean-sweep in 1995. faced in 1995 and 2006. www.fogs.com.au 3 FROM THE COACH’S DESK With Queensland Coach Mal Meninga

OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME

Last year’s series result does not make I would expect all of our players to be self-motivated our assignment in 2015 any easier, or any more by just performing to their best every time they wear the difficult. Queensland jersey. Beating the Blues, especially with only one game at Certainly for me as coach though, there are quite a few home at Suncorp Stadium this year – in Game 3 – is going reasons to get excited about what lies ahead this series. to take a lot of hard work, commitment and a fair share of For a start, there is the rare opportunity of having our luck as well. senior players coming into camp feeling fresher after a There has been no knee-jerk reaction from us after our genuine off-season. first series loss since 2005. Through a variety of injuries, a number of our Test regulars were not available for last year’s Four Nations, meaning they were given time to recuperate and refresh – and they will bring more energy to Origin than they have been able to muster in previous years. Secondly, our Emerging Origin squad members continue to push for selection, and it is always an enjoyable experience being able to hand a Queenslander their first Maroon Origin jersey. Guys like , Dale Copley, Michael Morgan, Josh McGuire, , , and Dave Tyrrell are among the players I hope would be seeing We were all obviously disappointed, but once again, I themselves as a good was very pleased and very comfortable with the effort and chance of playing for passion shown by the team in all three games of the series. Queensland this year. Ultimately, we were beaten by a very committed NSW We have some talent team who executed their game plan better than us in the coming through, there first two games. is no doubt about it. Regardless of the result, we are always trying And I think to improve the program, and have it recent years continuously evolving. We don’t want to be have shown caught out standing still. that if guys like them are producing the I think there is a fresh challenge ahead of our senior guys, with the opportunity to win back the shield and, for quality and the first time in a long time, playing without the weight consistency of expectation that naturally comes with a required, then the like they had. opportunities will come their way. That will help in their mental preparation. But at the I think back to last year and we had guys like Josh same time, that is something that I would hope I don’t Papalii, Aiden Guerra and all step up and have to push too much. take their chances well when they arrived. Pictures: Courtesy News Queensland Courtesy News Pictures:

4 www.fogs.com.au Those guys have taken the first step towards being the players that the Queensland team will be built around for years to come. The challenge for me and the rest of the Queensland staff is to ensure that the players are given the best op- portunity to prepare as well as they can and play to their ability. That comes down to the environment we provide, and managing things like workloads, fatigue and mental freshness. But at the end of the day, the players are the ones that run on field. They understand what their roles The excitement is already building. I can’t and responsibilities are. They just have to get stuck wait for it to get started again. into it.

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CRL036.1 MAL’S (ALMOST) PERFECT

HOW THE MAROONS WENT FROM DESPAIR TO GLORY!

THIS year marks Mal Meninga’s 10th series as Maroons coach, and despite Queensland’s astounding run of success since he took over in 2006, State of Origin’s greatest mentor believes his team’s finest hour is yet to come. After shredding the Origin record books with a previously unthinkable eight successive series wins, Meninga hopes the true reflection of this mighty team’s greatness will be felt 10 years down contribute to the track when they impart their Queensland’s Origin future understanding of the Queensland spirit to through the history they the next generation. helped to create. “Their legacy “That is what I want to happen,” Mal says. will be their history. Will eight “Regardless of what they are doing in life, years in a row ever be beaten? I want them to remain a part of the Origin I don’t think so. I don’t think program, and keep telling the stories and their achievement will ever be reinforcing the message about what it means equalled. to play for Queensland. “They have left their legacy “Whether they be coaches or staff or now through their success, but mentors, I would like them all to be able to I hope they will all contribute to

8 Queensland’s Origin future as well.” from the inside as well. “All of the players just had such Meninga’s own legacy of coach is “The way that I am, if I am going enormous respect for them, they assured. to be critical about something, I have bought in to what we were doing Already one of the greatest players to come up with solutions on how to straight away. the game has ever seen, Meninga’s fix it. “It has always been about that unprecedented success as a coach is “So rather than me just sitting there respect. The team was bigger than made even more remarkable by the being critical, I thought I had better anything else, bigger than any one circumstances surrounding how he do something about trying to change person.” got the job. it. That was my thinking. “That is still true today. While we In 2005, the Maroons were in a “I talked to Wayne (Bennett), and have some of the best players the very dark place. Having lost their to Tosser (Turner), to Geno (Miles) code has ever seen playing in this third straight series, Queensland was and to Ross Livermore at the QRL side, the team is still bigger than them staring down the barrel of becoming about it all. – and they wouldn’t have it any other the first team in Origin history to lose “I had a bit of coaching experience, w ay.” four series in a row. and I thought I had something to Mal says while talent has taken the The Queensland family was coming offer. Maroons a long way over the apart. The misfiring Maroons were “I left the Raiders not wanting to previous nine series, it is attitude that under siege from all quarters as coach anymore. So it wasn’t about has made the biggest difference. frustration and the lack of success proving myself as a coach. I had no “Every game that they have played threatened to boil over. inhibitions. over the previous nine years, I have Amid the maelstrom, Meninga “I just wanted to man-manage never been unhappy with the attitude quietly put up his hand and asked to these kids to start believing in or commitment they have shown,” he help. themselves and, as a group, take some says. pride and passion in that Maroon “We have not won every game, but “I HAVE NEVER CONSIDERED jersey. the reason we have lost is because on MYSELF A COACH. BUT I KNEW “When I came on board and got occasions the other team has SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE.” to know them all, I found that they executed better and just played better already had that pride and passion in than us. “What really happened, as far as the jersey. They just didn’t know how “But we have never let ourselves me putting my hand up to coach to win.” down with attitude and effort. That Queensland, was I sat in the box with Meninga began rebuilding the has always been fantastic. all the ex-players and other people in Maroon wall brick by brick. But he “You only have to look at them after a Game 3 in 2005, and everyone was was fortunate to be able to call on a game to see that they have given their bagging them for the way they were couple of master builders to assist all – win or lose. playing. with the reconstruction. “Internally for Queensland, for “Tosser and Artie Beetson were so “THAT IS THE important for us in the early days, the first time ever, there was a lot of QUEENSLAND WAY.” criticism. There was already a lot of because they reinforced criticism externally being directed everything we all know about playing at the team, but now it was coming for Queensland,” he says. Pictures: Courtesy News Queensland

www.fogs.com.au 9 HETHERINGTONS’ FIGHTING SPIRIT Cancer has dealt the family of former Maroons Jason Hetherington a double blow, with his wife Kym and sister Lindyl battling the disease. BUT THIS FAMILY IS UP FOR THE FIGHT.

Jason Hetherington FOG No.108 Clubs: Gold Coast Seagulls, Canterbury Bulldogs Queensland: 8 Origins (1998 - 2000) Position: Hooker

10 TWO months ago Jason Hetherington’s world came Rockhampton, Jason became a crashing down. star at the Canterbury Bulldogs in HETHERINGTONS’ “Breast cancer,” the Origin hard nut says bluntly. the 1990s. “We did the body scan. They found a tumour on her In the Bulldogs’ yearly kidney as well.” magazine of 1999, his answers to a Jason’s wife Kym and the Hetherington family are now in Q and A reveal all about the tough an enormous battle as she fights cancer. hooker’s character. FIGHTING Kym has begun chemotherapy treatment after having a Asked his favourite Spice Girl mastectomy in late March. member he replied “Bush Spice”. To complicate matters further, Jason’s sister Lindyl has Asked which movie character been battling cancer for the past 12 months. best represented him he replied “My sister has bloody got it, too. We are dealing with both of “Mick Dundee”. SPIRIT them,” Hetherington said. His favourite book? “Rugby “With Kym, it has been the last month and a bit since we League Week”. found out. When the Bulldogs media manager of that era, now ABC “Lindyl has been 12 months.” radio host Debbie Spillane, once mispronounced Baralaba’s Jason did his best to look after his family as well as coach name at a function Hetherington quickly cut in “It’s easy, Intrust Super Cup club the Central Capras. But he has Deb… every second letter’s an A.” stepped aside to put all his energy into helping his family. They don’t make them like Hetherington these days. Even However, Jason’s fight to manage family support with Corey Oates, a prodigious talent at the Broncos who hails coaching is nothing compared to his wife’s battle. from Biloela, just a few kilometres from Baralaba, has almost When he speaks about her fight, he says “we”. lost his country twang and as he swims through a sea of One in eight women in Australia will be diagnosed with media management. breast cancer in their lifetime and more than half of Not Jason. all breast cancers in Australia are discovered by the Ask him about one of his giant props at the Capras and woman herself or her own doctor. he quips: “It would take two days on horse to ride across his In 2014, it is estimated that more than 15,000 shoulders”. Australian women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Jason and his family embody rugby league, which is why That equates to approximately 40 each day. There is silver his wife Kym and sister Lindyl will – as is the Queensland lining to Kym’s breast cancer diagnosis. way – always keep fighting. It was the cancer check that also revealed the kidney tumour. That is why Jason is urging men and women to take the time out to have regular check-ups. “The outlook is positive, thankfully. We start chemo (in the first week of April),” Jason says. “It is a 15-month program for Kym. “She had a mastectomy. She had the kid- ney tumour removed. “They were two primaries. We wouldn’t have found the tumour if it wasn’t for the breast. “The lymph nodes were clean. “The check-ups are important. Jason is now trying to manage coaching the Capras, one of “It is tough. We will get through the most under resourcesides in the Intrust Super Cup, while it. We have good support here.” supporting his wife through this difficult period. Jason played eight Origin games “I still have a job to do. I am 100 per cent committed to it,” but would have played a lot more Jason says. were it not for the presence of the “Kym understands that because there will be times where great . she needs me and other times when we need the support. Jason represented the Maroons in “She is a mother of four kids, five including me, so that is 1998, 1999 and 2000, and now – along full-time. side Walters – is a part of Mal “You have to get on to cancer early. You have to get your Queensland Courtesy News Pictures: Meninga’s Queensland coaching team. checks. Get on to it early enough and you can look after it. Born and raised in Baralaba, near “If we could say anything to people that would be it. Cancer touches everyone in some way.”

11 CROWN JEWEL Crown Resorts Foundation gets behind ARTIE Academy Tutoring Program

THE Former Origin Greats are very “committed to creating and heavily on the hard work and pleased to announce a new supporting opportunities across dedication of the volunteer tutors, partnership with the the community that inspire positive who come to the ARTIE Academy Crown Resorts Foundation. change,” the Foundation says. Tutoring Program from Queensland’s “As the philanthropic arm of most prestigious universities and The new partnership ensures that Crown Resorts, the Crown Resorts tertiary education providers. FOGS’ highly successful ARTIE Foundation provides engaged This year, the universities Academy Tutoring Program will financial support to programs with participating in the ARTIE continue and expand in 2015. demonstrated success in the areas Academy Tutoring Program include FOGS Executive Chairman, Gene of the arts, community welfare, James Cook University, Central Miles said the partnership with the education, health care and research, Queensland University, University Crown Resorts Foundation was a and the environment.” further validation of the success of of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland There can be no argument that the the ARTIE Academy, which University of Technology, University ARTIE Academy Tutoring continues to produce of Queensland, Australian Catholic Program absolutely meets the incredible results in helping criteria of positive change and University, Griffith University, Indigenous Queensland students demonstrated success in the field of University of Southern Queensland onto the path for a better life. and TAFE Queensland. “We are all obviously extremely improving Indigenous education in proud of what we have been able to Queensland. achieve with the ARTIE Academy, The ARTIE Academy Tutoring and we are just as proud that the Program is a volunteer-based Crown Resorts Foundation initiative of the ARTIE Academy recognises that success, and wanted that assists in “Closing the Gap” in to become involved as part of their educational outcomes for Aboriginal community involvement program,” and Torres Strait Islander students Gene said. in Academy-aligned schools across “To have this new partnership Queensland. with the Crown Resorts Foundation The aim of this program is to means that not only can the great develop confidence and raise ability work being done by our staff and in numeracy and literacy, specifically tutors working in the ARTIE with students in Years 7 and 8. Academy Tutoring Program around The program achieves these goals the state continue, we can also begin by supporting students in class and to look ahead to ways we can reach even more Queensland students to also tutoring students outside of the offer them a helping hand in building classroom, both individually and in a better life for themselves.” group learning situations. The Crown Resorts Foundation is The program of course relies

12 www.artie.net.au TIME TO CELEBRATE THE 2014 ARTIE Fun Day was held in front of them. in November, to mark another “By rewarding them with successful year of education, the ARTIE Fun Day, they can dedication and commemoration. see how good things are worth the effort of hard work. This will The ARTIE Fun Day was again held hopefully then become habit, and at White Water World at Dreamworld they will continue to aim high in their on the Gold Coast, to reward the Term academic performance because of the Three Primary achievers and rewards that it brings - with things like Secondary Gold and Silver achievers the ARTIE Fun Day, but also in setting for their hard work and success within themselves on the path to a brighter the ARTIE Academy. future.” More than 400 students from around Gene said the ARTIE Fun Day also South-East Queensland attended the served as an on-going tribute to the annual ARTIE celebration. great , the man the But this celebration is not open to ARTIE Academy is named after, and everyone. Only students who achieve whose legacy and love for Queensland strict benchmarks in attendance and will continue to be felt for generations academic performance are eligible to to come. attend this special occasion. “The ARTIE Fun Day is a day of To attend, Primary students must celebration for the students, but it is not have recorded more than five days also a day where we can celebrate the absent from school, while the life of Beetson, and the Secondary students were only eligible difference he made in the lives of so to attend by achieving Gold or Silver many Queenslanders,” Gene said. status with an 85 per cent school “It was on the day of the ARTIE Fun attendance record. Day in 2011 that the great man passed FOGS Executive Chairman, Gene away from a heart attack while riding Miles said the ARTIE Fun Day was a his bike. He was supposed to be the crucial part of the success of the guest of honour that day, and now ARTIE Academy. every year this day is a celebration of “In any walk of life, success should his memory as well.” be celebrated, and that is what the The FOGS would once again like ARTIE Fun Day is all about,” Gene to thank our incredible sponsors & said. supporters that help make the ARTIE “These students have worked really Fun Day such a special part of the hard to achieve the goals that were set year. for them to try to improve their Firstly, Dreamworld, White Water performance at school, and the fact World and their staff for hosting the that they achieved them should be a event, BoysTown for assisting in the cause for celebration. preparation & serving lunch, Alfred “But there is also the element of E Chave (supplier of fruit & salad), reward for the students in the Ashcroft Meats (suppliers of program. By working hard and being meat), Streets (supplier of invited to the ARTIE Fun Day, the icecream), Coca-Cola Amatil students begin to appreciate that good (supplier of beverages) and things can be achieved by Krispy Kreme (supplier of applying themselves to the challenge doughnuts).

www.artie.net.au 13 FITTINGLY for State of Origin’s greatest romantic fairytale, the story of the any of them’. 1995 miracle began with a set of high It was a massive honour for me to So all of a sudden our pool of heels and lipstick. be asked to coach Queensland. I’d players has been cut by 60 per cent,” But this was not 50 Shades of Grey. help Queensland whichever way I Fatty recalls. It was 50 Shades of Maroon. And also could.” “So we went back and started a tinge of red. Incredible as it seems, this season again. This is the deadset truth, and I “I remember when Ross Livermore marks 20 years since Fatty and his don’t mean this with any disrespect at from the QRL rang me, asking if I merry band of Nevilles caused the all, but Benny Ikin got picked because wanted to coach Queensland,” says greatest upset Origin, and quite we had no one else left to choose. . possibly rugby league, had ever seen. “We were one player short, and “I was in the carpark at Channel 9. A rag-tag bunch of players pitted there was just no one. I’d just finished a skit for The Footy against the might of a NSW team Arthur Beetson says: Show, so I was busy trying to take boasting 11 internationals and ‘There’s this young kid from the off the lipstick and high heels I was aiming for its fourth consecutive Gold Coast we could pick. He’s only wearing, and Ross rang and said: series win over the Maroons, all played three first grade games, but ‘Wayne Bennett has pulled out of the under the guidance of a rookie coach he’s good’. Queensland coaching job. Do you and set against the backdrop of the “I said to Arthur: ‘Never heard of want to do it?’ war that had split the him. Can he play?’ Artie reckoned “I just said ‘Yep’, and Ross said ‘Do game in two. you need time to think about it?’. I “I remember our first team he was going to be a good player, so said: ‘Nup. The answer is yes. Let’s do selection meeting, and we’re all we went with him. So we had 17. But it. Let’s go’. sitting around pencilling in names I will tell you this: I looked down at “I don’t know how many people and Ross comes in with John that list and I never had any doubt Ross had called before they got down McDonald and says: ‘All the Super they would stand up. to me, but he didn’t have to ask me League blokes are out. You can’t pick “I looked at the team and I twice.

14 www.fogs.com.au thought: ‘We can win this’.” out of his arm, and made his way to Fatty says. “It doesn’t feel like 20 years Not that he needed convincing, but Suncorp Stadium. I can tell you. by the first night in camp, Vautin and Or what about the infamous all-in “The blokes in that team deserve to his captain knew brawl at the MCG in Origin II, which be recognised for the good they did they were onto something special. Vautin insists came from a tip from for the game. “We had a team meeting and Fatty an insider in the Blues’ camp? “Gary Burns, who is now at Fox spoke for about 20 minutes, and then “I got a phone call from inside the Sports, was at Channel 9 at the time he asked Choppy Close to stand up Blues camp at about 5.30pm – it was and he said to me: ‘Your team just and tell the players what it meant to true, I didn’t make it up and I have saved Origin’. him to play for Queensland,” Gilly never revealed my source – but the “That is what it was like. Origin says. “Well he got up, said about three bloke said: ‘I’m telling you what’s needed us to win. The game, in the words and started to cry, so he going to happen. The first bloke who middle of all the , apologised and sat down again calls out Queenslander is going to needed something to remind us what because he couldn’t go on. have his head knocked off’. makes the game so great. “Robbie O’Davis was sitting beside “I just thought: ‘Ripper’. I went into “It is never about who has the best me, he leaned over and said: ‘Get our team meeting, told the players players. It’s about who can get the me a bloody jersey. I’m ready to play what I’d heard and asked: ‘Who is best out of themselves. Our guys did now’. Everyone was on board straight going to be the first one to say it?’ ” t h at .” away.” Gillmeister takes up the story: The 1995 series has become such “Well, straight away, 20 hands a part of Origin folklore, the old war go in the air. I know there were stories have been told a thousand only 17 blokes in the team, but I times or more. looked over and bloody Choppy But to hear the electricity and has his hand in the air, too. enthusiasm in the voices of Vautin “I’m sitting there thinking: and Gillmeister as they relive those ‘Where the bloody hell are we incredible moments from 20 years gonna find a jersey big enough ago gives hope that the same old to fit you?’ But that is what stories will be told a thousand times it was like. We were all great more. mates. We were ready to do Pictures: Courtesy News Queensland Courtesy News Pictures: Like Gilly being told he could die anything for each other.” from his infected leg if he played in The stories will again flow Game 3. thick and fast this year as The advice from his mate and Queenslanders look back on coach? the achievement of Fatty and “I just said: ‘What better place to Gilly’s Unthinkables – the little die than in the middle of team that could. on Origin night’,” Vautin recalls. “I remember every minute of Gillmeister nodded, pulled the drips that series like it was yesterday,”

www.fogs.com.au 15

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TERRY COOK FOG No.90 Clubs: Gold Coast Seagulls, South Queensland Crushers Queensland: 3 Origins (1995) Position: Lock, Second Row, Centre

IN Queensland’s most desperate of unheralded Maroons stunned the He lives just south of the Tweed at hour, unheralded utility Terry Cook Blues after the Super League war Cabarita Beach, where wife Jane runs answered the Maroons’ call – and robbed the state of its Broncos big a Coffee Club franchise, and he works earned himself a place in history guns. in the pub game, having owned the WHEN former Queensland coach And if anyone personified Jondaryan Hotel for the past 16 years Paul Vautin famously joked about his Queensland’s underdog tag that year, after his departure from the Crushers victorious 1995 Origin side featuring it was none other than Cook, the in 1996. a pack of “Neville Nobodies”, Terry Gold Coast and South Queensland Remarkably, he retired from rugby Cook reckons he fitted the utility who thought he was a better league just seven years ago, aged 43, description to a tee. chance of winning Powerball than after shattering his ankle in three Queensland’s epic 3-0 victory in ’95 playing State of Origin. places playing for Pittsworth Danes remains one of the great narratives in Today, Cook is on the cusp of his in the Darling Downs – in his 37th Origin history, when a rag-tag bunch 50th birthday. season of football.

18 www.fogs.com.au “I was chosen out of missus was copping phone calls left, Cook said. nowhere, but I wasn’t right and centre. “To hear that from them, that I’d “Eventually, she rang me and said: helped them win an Origin series, going to knock it back. ‘You bloody better get home Terry, was my career highlight. I lived the dream, every you’ve made the State of Origin side. “I played one more season for the young kid who plays “I was simply stunned ... I thought Crushers, but I was never going to it was April Fools Day.” top Origin. footy dreams of playing Cook was so nervous before “The Super League comp started in Origin and I did it.” Origin I at the Football 1997, I was 31 and a stack of young Stadium that he required a special blokes were coming through, so I had But two decades ago, Cook pep talk from Gillmeister, his a year with Norths in the state league. celebrated his coronation as an Maroons skipper. “I broke my arm halfway through Origin player as Maroons selectors “Gilly could see I was a little edgy, and thought: ‘It’s time to go, rugby desperately cobbled together a side league can’t pay me forever’.” without Super League defectors such so he relayed a story of his own as , and . Aged 29, Cook was a revelation, playing a crucial utility role off the bench in all three games of Queensland’s series boilover. The rangy centre or back-rower never again wore Maroon after his ’95 heroics, but will always savour his perfect record at Origin level. “I was plucked from Neville Nobody-land,” laughs Cook, who has two children, daughter Miranda, 27, a journalist and son Harry, a 23-year-old pilot. “It was one of the greatest six weeks of my life. “Funny enough, my wife found out I was picked before I did.

“At the Crushers, we used to have Pictures: Courtesy News Queensland what we called ‘Monday Club’, a day Origin debut,” Cook recalls with a where we’d have a recovery session chuckle. Cook finished with 81 top-grade after the weekend game and then we’d “In his first series, he played at the games, scoring eight tries for the get on the drink and have a punt. SCG and he ran out with Paul Vautin Gold Coast and the Crushers “I was at Crushers Leagues on the as his back-row partner. between 1991-96. piss with Trevor Gillmeister and my “Gilly said he was shitting himself, Today, his Origin jumpers are in when Fatty said just before kick-off: safe keeping at his mother-in-law’s ‘Hey Gilly, fair dinkum, look at all the home, and he relishes his spare time good sorts in the Members Bar!’ ” surfing and walking the family dog. Buoyed by Queensland’s shock 2-0 “I’m still involved in the game, I win in Origin I, Cook then played the do some MC work for the Men of game of his life in the return bout at League which is great,” he says. the MCG. “I was blessed in my career. At It was his pass which sent halfback the Gold Coast, I made my debut dashing across for the alongside , who was our try which gave Queensland a vital captain-coach, and I played my best 14-6 lead – they hung on to clinch a football running off him. history-making 20-12 victory. “It was an honour to wear that “After the Melbourne game, both mighty Maroon jumper, but I have Fatty and ‘Choppy’ (team manager to say no-one notices me these days, ) came up to me and said: and that’s just fine. ‘Do you realise you just produced “I’m still a Neville Nobody.” the play that won us the series?’,” www.fogs.com.au 19

TYRO TOTITAN Locky says Gold Coast move will put Daly among the greats IT was the most talked about club Now Cherry-Evans is coming home The Titans recruit will almost certainly transfer in recent memory. – and Lockyer is adamant his increased be part of Camp Maroon in 2015 and And now the most-capped Maroon in responsibility at the Titans will only aid Lockyer has no doubt Cherry-Evans can Origin history believes Daly his development as a representative develop into a superb Origin player. Cherry-Evans’ looming return to the playmaker. “From a football perspective, despite Sunshine State will be the perfect “There’s a number of what he has achieved already, we platform to take him to another level as a positives for Daly coming haven’t seen the best of Daly,” Queensland playmaker. back to Queensland,” Lockyer Lockyer said. says the Gold Coast said. “As he gets more experience, Titans weren’t the only winners when “From a personal he will drive the team around the Cherry-Evans announced he would leave perspective, being closer to park better. I think he’s ready for it. Manly to begin a four-year term on the his family will be of benefit. It will be good for his own holiday strip starting in 2016. “It’s not always easy development. It was also a triumph for Queensland for a Queensland kid rugby league, which can celebrate the to try and make it return of a grassroots product who fell in love with the sport as a kid growing up in on his own in the Mackay. hustle-and-bustle of Rugby league, and Maroon blood, Sydney. courses through the Cherry-Evans’ veins. “It’s a cut-throat Daly’s uncle, Steve Cherry, was a place for a young, flint-hard Redcliffe stalwart who hit like a aspiring NRL player sledgehammer during his reign as one of and it’s why I chose the Brisbane State League’s most admired to stay at the Broncos “He is a players in the 1980s. when I had a chance to Queenslander so coming His father Troy played his junior rugby go to Parramatta as a home is one thing, but I league with Norths in Rockhampton and teenager in the 1990s. also get the feeling Daly spent his senior years plying his trade for “In five years, Daly is ready for another the Yeppoon Seagulls and Railways. has achieved a hell of a challenge and that is to A Queensland Country lot. He’s a great talent, come to a struggling representative, Evans turned out for the but I honestly think he club and lift them up Capras and Redcliffe and went close will get better at the to a premiership. to winning a premiership as a tough, Tit an s .” “He had a quiet year no-nonsense hooker with Norths in 1990. There is a view by his standards last Cherry-Evans has not season, but this is the quite delivered on his challenge that will potential in the Origin bring the best out in arena. Since making his him. Daly will relish Queensland debut in 2013, it and it will take the 26-year-old has played five his game to a new games, but most of his game time l e v e l .” has come as a utility or to answer an SOS following a mid-match injury. Last year, Cherry-Evans was thrown into the fray after just 10 minutes of the Origin series opener when halfback broke his arm. Cherry-Evans never quite settled with

the Maroons’ structures in the 12-8 loss, Queensland Courtesy News Pictures: then battled a knee injury in the return bout, which the Blues won 6-4 to clinch the Origin shield. www.fogs.com.au 21 LEAGUE’S SUITS COME UP TRUMPS with Trevor Gilmeister

FOR this edition of Queenslander could drop Pictures: News Courtesy Queensland Magazine, I am going to use my as low as column to do something I have rarely six. done in all my years in Rugby League. This is I want to give the people running something the game an enormous wrap. I have been It is an easy thing to take shots at crying out for the powers that be, particularly when in the NRL they make decisions affecting the for at least 10 game that just seem to fly in the face years. of common sense. The change it pit-stop after But recently they announced two will make to the 20 minutes. major changes to the way the game way the game Most importantly will be played because they are trying is played will be though, it will help clean to protect the integrity of the code enormous – and the game up and make it not only that we all know and love – and I all for the better. more entertaining, but safer as well. reckon they should be applauded for Reducing the number of I was talking to Wayne Bennett a it. interchanges means that things like couple of years ago about the number First was their decision to crack fatigue and stamina once again play of injuries in the NRL, and I down on the wrestling tactics in the an important role in how the game is suggested to him that the way to ruck, to hopefully remove it from the won and lost. reduce it was to reduce the number of game altogether. It means the small, dynamic men interchanges. It was a big challenge for them – like , Chris It is quite simple. When players are from the game’s administration right Sandow and will now get under massive fatigue, there is less down to the referees who ultimately more opportunities to break games likelihood of a 110kg prop coming in are the ones who must ensure the open against players struggling under as the third man in on a gang tackle. laws are policed. fatigue. They are just not going to have the But they did a great job, and I petrol. think the quality of the football Defenders just won’t have the we saw in the first few weeks energy to waste on gang tackles or was evidence of just how much wrestling in the ruck anymore. wrestling tactics were holding The importance of good one-on- the game back. one defending with proper technique With the ruck cleaned up, will all of a sudden be worth its some of the games we saw weight in gold. in the early part of the year – With less bodies hammering when teams are traditionally a bit rusty and finding their attacking players and putting feet – were quite simply fantastic. enormous stresses on their joints and Wrestling was ruining the game, It means we will see the return of limbs, I bet we will see a big drop in and the NRL have taken positive the true workhorse second-rowers, the number of serious knee injuries. steps to stop it. like blokes such as Gary Larson, who The administrators have got The other change which will be were so important to the these two changes spot on. They are equally important for the game was performance of the team with their designed to improve the game as a the announcement of a reduction in ability to get through 80 minutes of spectacle, and at the same time make the number of interchanges from next work. it a safer place for our best players to season. It changes the way players do their thing. Currently, teams are allowed to approach a match, knowing they can’t make a maximum of 10 changes go like a bull at a gate in the first few Well done to the NRL. You’ve during a game. minutes if the coach is banking on got the thumbs up from me. From next season, that number them to go the distance without a

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