ORIGIN WAGER PROVES A CROCK-UP

MICHAEL Crocker’s passion for the Maroons may finally have gone too far.

After the Maroons’ 22-12 defeat on Wednesday night, an image of a “nude” Crocker with a strategically placed football has been plastered across giant billboards in NSW and Queensland.

As part of Carlton Dry’s ‘Let the Games Decide’ promotion, Crocker and Gallen, who were often at loggerheads on the field during Origin, agreed to appear in little more than strategically draped colours of the other team if their side lost the series opener.

Crocker lost the bet with the Blues’ cockroach-in-chief after the Maroons’ 22-12 defeat.

The firebrand forward has apologised to any drivers distracted by a giant image of his post-retirement body.

“I was hopeful Queensland would get the win but unfortunately we didn’t, so I apologise to anyone driving out of the airport here,” he said standing in front of an electronic billboard at the Gold Coast airport.

“I’ve had a few calls from people in Sydney driving on the M1 at 100km/h in Sydney when I popped up.

“If you are driving on the highway, please keep your speed and your focus on the road and not on the billboard.

“Gal was obviously a lot more confident and comfortable than me. They were favourites and he’s a fulltime professional training athlete and I’m five years retired and a part-time trainer and Queensland were underdogs.”

The athletes were initially to be “naked” on the billboards if they lost the bet, having been photographed in a nude stocking behind the Steeden.

But the shots were apparently too R-rated for a public billboard and blue and the stocking colours were changed to blue and maroon in the final product.

Crocker, who also sports “I love NSW” on his chest, is hoping Queensland can turn the tables in Game Two so Gallen can suffer similar public humiliation.

“The odds were in his favour,” Crocker said.

“We actually played really well, NSW were just that little bit better and they defended really well.

“The couple of opportunities they had, they made the most of them and that’s what you can do when you’ve got a very exciting young team. It’s looking good for a cracking Game Two.”

IF YOU ARE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, PLEASE KEEP YOUR SPEED AND YOUR FOCUS ON THE ROAD AND NOT ON THE BILLBOARD