ALF SAVES THE DAY
AFTER his side lost the series opener 18-10, coach Mal Meninga made 10 positional changes to the Queensland line-up – with stunning success. Darius Boyd (pictured) debuted on the wing and scored the Maroons’ opening two tries, both set up by a rampant Greg Inglis, who was hell-bent on making an impact following a quiet game one. Inglis, then just 21, was eventually named man of the match. Johnathan Thurston also shone for the winners. Despite some solid displays from skipper Danny Buderus and fullback Brett Stewart, NSW was held scoreless for the second time in Origin history. Inglis’s Storm coach, Craig Bellamy, was in charge of the Blues. FOLLOWING a classic game one in Sydney, where Queensland won 24-23, NSW got one back on enemy soil on a Friday night, locking up the series at one-all with a superb 26-10 victory. Wayne Bennett’s Maroons made the early running with a try to Wendell Sailor in the third minute, before Tommy Raudonikis’s Blues took control through centre Paul McGregor. Replacing Andrew Ettingshausen in the starting line-up, McGregor scored twice – and Brad Fittler added a third before half-time. Andrew Johns and man of the match Rodney Howe (pictured) were also outstanding for the winners against a Maroons outfit led by Alfie Langer and including current Reds Super Rugby coach Brad Thorn. NEEDING a win to keep the series alive after a 26-18 defeat at home, NSW looked like doing just that with 18 minutes left in the game. The John Peard-coached Blues led 6-4 and rejoiced when Maroons superstar Wally Lewis was sent to the sin bin for dissent after an all-in brawl triggered by a scuffle between Phil Daley and Greg Conescu. Outraged Queensland fans threw beer cans on to the ground in disgust and chanted “send off Stone”, in reference to referee Mick Stone. Still, the Maroons rallied after the resumption of play. First, eventual man of the match Sam Backo (pictured) crashed over and then Alfie Langer found the tryline to wrap up a memorable win under Wayne Bennett. IF JOHNATHAN Thurston were tomake a shock comeback forOrigin III this year, the similarities to the 2001 series would be quite uncanny.
Itwas for that decider 17 years ago that Wayne Bennett, back coaching Queensland for his third stint, recalled 35-year-old Allan Langer from his selfimposed sabbatical with Warrington to ultimately deliver a stunning victory for the Maroons.
Langer had pulled the pin on hisNRL career just eight games into the 1999 season because he had lost his hunger and his love for the game, but ultimately found his way to England before Bennett, in a shroud of secrecy, masterminded the return of his former captain.
“I had no idea Wayne was considering me, none whatsoever,” Langer recalled.
“The first inkling came when (former Broncos teammate) Andrew Gee phoned me from City Rowers (nightclub) after quite a few drinks and said Waynewas going to call and ask me to play. But I told ‘Gee Gee’ to go home and sleep it off, and hung up.”
Believing his mate was having a lend of him, Langer said he thought no more about it, not even when Bennett did call the following morning.
“Wayne and I would speak every few weeks, just like a couple of mates catching up,” he said. “And even on that day we chatted about other things before he dropped the bombshell.”
Langer said that while there was fear of failure, he totally embraced the challenge and