One word....Queenslander

Christmas in July was created to provide a second joyous period in the calendar year. It's especially common in the southern hemisphere given it is winter for those below the equator. Personally I think it should be renamed to Christmas in May and June. Whys that you ask? State. Of. Origin.

State of Origin means absolutely nothing to those outside the eastern seaboard. In fact you'd find that not many Tasmanian or Victorian sports lovers would even know what it is. Once you venture into the Blue territory of NSW or the Maroon lands of QLD, you start to see the fanaticism that engulfs crowds and fans alike. It's that good even rugger fans get in on it. Origin is the greatest stage for football as far as I'm concerned - it's greater than the Rugby World Cup and AFL Grand Final put together.

Origin eligibility prior to 1980 was determined by what state your current club was in. This led to total NSW domination - so much so that QLD only one 3.8% of all interstate games between 1959 and 1981. It was a farce - the negative media attention these games attracted was insane. Even back at the very origins of interstate football, QLD have been bagged:

"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

Once Origin established itself in the 80's off the back of brutal hits, fast-paced action and an exciting brand of football, it started to gain a cult following north of the border. This cult following has grown almost exponentially and leads us to the Origin series that we see today. Lang Park constantly sold out to max capacity, 48,000 football mad supporters screaming for the Blues blood.

The word Queenslander can be summed up by looking at how it was coined. In 1995, the Super League war was in full swing and the ARL declared that any Super League-aligned players were ineligible to play. This meant that the Broncos and their star studded backline could not play for QLD. The Blues were heavily backed favourites and memories of pre-1980 interstate games were abundant. During Game 2 and leading at half time, the cameras switch to the tunnel to see the QLD side walk out on to Lang Park. Billy Moore, a great lock for QLD, had fire in his eyes and was chanting "Queenslander, Queenslander" to get the lads fired up. We went on to win that game 20-12 and subsequently the series, albeit as massive underdogs that had apparently no chance. That image is burnt into my memory as the definition of Queenslander - never give up, work as a unit and devote every last drop of energy towards defeating the Blues.

That is what it's all about. NSW players grow up wanting to play for Australia, QLD players grow up wanting the play for the Maroons. We may no longer be the underdog for Origin games at the moment but the spirit of the past lives on through our current QLD side. The Red Hill Rants crew will be at the game on Wednesday night and I'm willing to bet that both Jim and I will be hoarse the next day from chanting that famous line....QUEENSLANDER.