It has been a long time since Queensland last won the State of Origin series with a game to spare.
Six years, to be exact.
2016, approaching the back end of Queensland’s incredible run of dominance in the interstate series was the last time the state managed to wipe out the Blues with a game to spare.
It has been even longer since Queensland last recorded a whitewash in Origin, that having not occurred since they won all three games in a famous 2010 run.
Still, when the Maroons walk onto Optus Stadium in Perth - neutral territory this evening - they will be looking to repeat the feat last recorded by a Maroons’ team of legends in 2016, on a night when they managed to get the better of the Blues by 26 points to 16 in a home encounter at the cauldron - Lang Park.
That had followed a nailbiter in the opener, when Queensland managed to take the chocolates by just 6 points to 4.
It may almost be difficult to believe given how dominant Queensland were at Origin level, but New South Wales have won the series with a game to spare twice since the Maroons last pulled off the feat.
Now, as the Maroons look to repeat the dose, Zero Tackle takes a dive into history and a look at the team which last took Queensland to Origin in straight sets.
1. Darius Boyd
Now: Retired
Boyd was strong for Queensland with the ball in the Game 2 win over the Blues, providing a couple of try assists and being an all-round positive asset to his side.
For all the criticism he copped, Boyd was a champion for Queensland whether on the wing or at fullback, and retired from the game at the end of the 2020 season, having played his last game for Queensland the season after this match in 2017.
2. Corey Oates
Now: Brisbane Broncos, Queensland squad for Game 2
Corey Oates, at the age of just 27, is still going strong, and is reportedly on the verge of extending his contract with the Broncos.
In the Origin wilderness for some years as he chased an unsuccessful move into the forward pack at Brisbane, it was tipped his NRL career was on the brink as well. A monumental form recovery though has him back on the wing at Red Hill, and back in the Origin squad for Game 2 of this year’s series, although the eight-time Origin player hasn’t been picked in Billy Slater’s 17.
3. Greg Inglis
Now: Retired
When Inglis was at his best, he was an absolute wrecking ball. He wasn’t quite there in this match, but still had damaging influence over the Blues with almost 140 metres.
He was part of the Queensland side until the end of 2018, and played Super League in 2021 before hanging up the boots as injuries struck him down.
4. Justin O’Neill
Now: Retired
O’Neill was quiet for Queensland in the win, running the ball just 5 times for 31 metres, but still making a strong number of tackles and defending solidly.
Always a hard worker, O’Neill went on to represent Australia in the same year, playing his final game for Queensland the following season. Injuries derailed his career and he called time midway through 2020 at the age of only 30.
5. Dane Gagai
Now: Newcastle Knights, Queensland centre for Game 2
Gagai is still going strong, and is undoubtedly one of the best big-game players in the competition. He is Origin through and through, and is unlikely to be dropped before he calls time.
This game saw him score a hat-trick and run for 145 metres. He now lines up in the centres for the Maroons, as he does at club level, where he has made the switch from South Sydney to Newcastle for the 2022 season.
6. Jonathan Thurston
Now: Retired
Just one of the megastars of the Queensland Origin run of dominance, 2016 was Thurston’s second-last Origin series. He would hang up the boots with 37 games for his state.
2016 was the premiership defence year for the Cowboys, but it still didn’t take away from his exceptional performances for Queensland, leading this particular performance with a try assist and five goals.
7. Cooper Cronk
Now: Retired
When Cronk first assumed a position in the starting 13 for Queensland, he had enormous boots to fill, but by the time he hung his own up, his name was well and truly among the legends of the state.
Like Thurston, 2016 was his second last year as an Origin player, and like Thurston, he was particularly strong in this contest, leading the kicking game with just over 300 metres off his boot.
8. Matthew Scott
Now: Retired
Queensland are finally starting to come out of the rut when it comes to being able to match the Blues in the middle third, but in 2016, they were still the dominant force, and the platform was often laid by the Cowboys’ prop.
He may have only ran 85 metres in this contest, but Matt Scott was always a pack leader for the men from north of the Tweed until he hung up the representative boots at the end of the 2016 series, and the boots for good at the end of 2019.
9. Cameron Smith
Now: Retired
Smith finally called time on his career at the end of the 2020 season, having finished up for Queensland at the end of 2017. Rumours were abound in the years between his two retirements that he would return for Queensland, such was his influence over Origin, although it never materialised.
Despite that, Smith played 42 games for his State, 430 games for his club and 56 for his country, and led the way in this game with seven runs and 43 tackles.
10. Josh McGuire
Now: St George Illawarra Dragons, not selected
Josh McGuire might be well and truly out of favour with the Maroons now - and potentially the NRL given reports he will continue his career in England during 2023 - but in 2016, he was a hard-nosed starting prop who brought a steely edge to the Maroons juggernaut alongside Matt Scott.
117 metres from 13 runs in this contest showed you all you need to know about the then Broncos prop who last played Origin in 2019.
11. Matt Gillett
Now: Retired
Matt Gillett is one player who could still be running around for the Maroons if not for injuries derailing his career. One of the best players when he was in the competition, he is also a fierce competitor Queensland have struggled to replace over the years since his last Origin in 2019.
He ended up with 20 games for Queensland and 202 for the Broncos before retiring in 2019 at the age of 30.
He added five tackle breaks in this game and was a consistent force.
12. Sam Thaiday
Now: Retired
When you think of cult heroes, there are few better than Sam Thaiday. The one-club legend, who played 304 games for the Broncos until his 2018 retirement, also played 29 games for Queensland.
His Origin career might have been winding down by 2016, but it didn’t mean he didn’t start for Queensland, playing 61 minutes and making 29 tackles without a miss in this contest.
13. Corey Parker
Now: Retired
There were few players who got through as much work as Parker did during his career, and this game was a testament to it. 151 metres from 16 runs and 28 tackles without a miss in under 50 minutes on the field.
Parker screamed Origin, and the now 40-year-old, who retired at the end of the 2016 season with 347 games for the Broncos and 19 for Queensland, was a tough one to replace after years of being Queensland’s unsung hero.
14. Michael Morgan
Now: Retired
Like Gillett, Morgan is a player who, if injuries didn’t strike, would still be running around for the Maroons this evening. Instead, he had to retire in 2021 at the age of just 29 on medical advice.
His 12 games for Queensland often saw him used as a utility, as he was in this contest where he played 41 minutes out of position, doing a stellar job.
15. Jacob Lillyman
Now: Retired
Lillyman developed cult hero status at the back end of his career as he bounced from club to club, but the Richmond-born forward never let anyone down during his 14 Origin games.
Often on the fringes of the Maroons’ squad, he was on the bench for this one and provided 33 valuable minutes off the bench. Played his last Origin in 2017 and retired in 2018.
16. Aidan Guerra
Now: Retired
Guerra fell away after he exited the Sydney Roosters at the end of 2017, playing his last Origin in the same season, but during those years and following his Queensland debut in 2014, he was a consistent force for the Maroons.
Didn’t play many minutes in this particular game, but was solid in the ones he did.
17. Josh Papalii
Now: Canberra Raiders, Queensland prop for Game 2
Josh Papalii is a special player. That there can be no doubt of. Even in this game coming from the bench, he made 136 metres from just 12 carries in a commanding performance.
He is now a regular starter for Queensland, and a leader at his club in the nation’s capital. The 30-year-old has 21 Origins under his belt, and will continue to increase that number in the years to come.
