‘Intensity’ stuns Alf

QUEENSLAND halfback legend Allan Langer says the Maroons’ 2022 triumph is the greatest series win in Origin history, declaring the pulsating Suncorp decider the fastest game he’s ever witnessed.

The Maroons’ epic 1989 series win is widely regarded as the Maroons’ finest hour as Wally Lewis inspired a 16-12 win in Game II despite losing a staggering five teammates including halves partner Langer to a broken leg.

Now a Maroons trainer, the inspirational ‘Alfie’ has either watched or been at the coalface of a slew of Queensland’s most treasured Origin moments, headlined by Wayne Bennett’s series win in 2020.

Langer was also part of Bennett’s all-time Origin selection bombshell when he secretly flew to Australia from England to engineer the Maroons’ 40-14 upset of the Blues in the 2001 decider.

But after seeing the Maroons overcome a Covid crisis, the scratching of Cameron Munster and the carnage of losing concussed duo Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins in the opening minutes of the decider, Langer says Billy Slater’s Superheroes are in a league of their own.

“This is the greatest series win I have seen,” said Langer, who played 34 Origin games for Queensland. “This goes past 1989, I think it has.

“We had two blokes knocked out early and we lost Munster before the game – to win a game as brutal as that with 15 men … there is nothing better in my mind. It makes me so proud to still be involved with the Queensland set-up, this makes me want to keep coming back.

“The courage they showed, it was bloody incredible. We were down to 15 men but we just kept turning up for each other and that’s what Queensland is about.”

Queensland’s defeat of the Blues at the SFS in Game II of 1989 has long been the gold standard for heroic Maroons performances.

Aside from losing Langer to a broken leg, Mal Meninga fractured his eye socket, Paul Vautin injured his elbow, Michael Hancock damaged his shoulder and Bob Lindner played with a busted ankle before hobbling off.

Queensland played the last five minutes with only 12 men as ‘The King’ Lewis confirmed his NRL Immortality by leading the Maroons to victory.

Then there’s the magic of 1995, when coach Vautin’s team of ‘Neville Nobodies’ defied enormous odds without their Super League stars such as Langer to stun the Blues 3-0 in a remarkable series sweep.

But Langer says the pace and brutality of the 2022 decider is unrivalled.

“Going on to the field as a trainer, it was the fastest pace I’ve ever seen,” he said. “The intensity was ridiculous. I’ve never seen anything like it.”