# 2001 State of Origin series

The 2001 State of Origin series was the 20th year that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. The series was notable for marking the first time an England-based player was selected for State of Origin: Maroons legend Allan Langer was asked to make his comeback for the third and deciding match of the series and did so, helping Queensland re-claim the shield in Brisbane.

## Game I

Queensland stalwart coach Wayne Bennett made it a personal mission to regain the great loss of credibility suffered from the 2000 series whitewash and 40 point last game defeat and decided he wanted his old Maroon coaching job back after a two-year sojourn.
* Sunday, May 6, 2001
| Queensland | 34–16 | New South Wales |
| Darren Lockyer (14 - 1t,5g) Darren Smith (4 - 1t) John Buttigieg (4 - 1t) John Doyle (4 - 1t) Carl Webb (4 - 1t) Chis Walker (4 - 1t) | (Report) | (4 - 2g) Michael De Vere (4 - 1t) Matthew Gidley (4 - 1t) Brad Fittler (4 - 1t) Trent Barrett |
* Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 38,909 Referee: Bill Harrigan Player of the Match: Gorden Tallis
In game I Queensland blooded no less than ten new players and Wayne Bennett gambled on the likes of Brisbane Broncos forward Carl Webb and North Queensland Cowboys John Buttigieg and John Doyle who were relative unknowns. But they each announced their representative arrival in dramatic style with a try each in the first game, won 34-16 by the Maroons in the last match played at the "old" Suncorp Stadium. The most spectacular was Webb's two minutes before half-time when he brushed off three defenders before powering his way across the line.

## Game II

Queensland went into game 2 without captain Gorden Tallis who was out with a neck injury.
* Sunday, June 10, 2001
| New South Wales | 26–8 | Queensland |
| Brad Fittler (8 - 2t) Ryan Girdler (6 - 3g) Jamie Ainscough (4 - 1t) Trent Barrett (4 - 1t) Luke Ricketson (4 - 1t) | (Report) | (4 - 2g) Darren Lockyer (4 - 1t) Chris Walker |
* Telstra Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 70,249 Referee: Bill Harrigan Player of the Match: Trent Barrett
Played before 70,000 at Telstra Stadium, Blues skipper Brad Fittler scored two tries in what was to be his last match for NSW on home soil and inspired his side to a 26-8 victory. Man of the match was Trent Barrett playing halfback for the first time due to injuries to Brett Kimmorley and Andrew Johns. Debutante Mark O'Meley was particularly impressive, setting up Fittler's first try after 53 minutes with a smashing run that sent defenders skittling.

## Game III

The lead up to Game III was dominated by emotion regarding Brad Fittler's pending retirement from representative football after 29 Origin appearances. But with the series tied at one game apiece Queensland needed some special emotion of their own to avoid a loss. Without inspirational captain Tallis and an established halves pairing, coach Bennett undertook furtive negotiations with Maroon's veteran Allan Langer, then in his second English season and captain of the Warrington Wolves, and the rumours were only confirmed after Langer had boarded a plane (under a false name) for the flight home, bound for his 31st career Origin appearance. At almost 35 years of age, Langer was named in his famous No.7 jersey for the first time since leaving Australia part-way through the 1999 NRL season.
* Sunday, 1 July 2001
| Queensland | 40–14 | New South Wales |
| Darren Lockyer (16 - 2t,4g) Chris Walker (8 - 2t) Paul Bowman (8 - 2t) Allan Langer (4 - 1t) Dane Carlaw (4 - 1t) | (Report) | (14 - 2t,3g) Ryan Girdler |
* ANZ Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 49,441 Referee: Bill Harrigan Player of the Match: Darren Lockyer
Despite NSW centre Ryan Girdler scoring the fastest try in Origin history after 39 seconds, Queensland took a 28-8 lead into the break with Langer heavily involved in three of the Maroons' first half tries. Alongside Darren Lockyer who created his own form of havoc, Langer tore New South Wales to shreds and capped his comeback in the 54th minute when he scored a trademark solo try from close range to sentence the Blues to a series-deciding loss and Fittler to his own bittersweet representative farewell (although he would make a comeback three years later and help his state to a victory in his final year before retirement).
Sydney's The Daily Telegraph reacted to the New South Wales team's Origin loss with this headline on the front of its paper on July 2, 2001: "BLOODY ALF".

## New South Wales squad

| Position | Game 1 | | Game 2 | | Game 3 | |
| Fullback | Mark Hughes | Mark Hughes | Mark Hughes | Mark Hughes | Mark Hughes | Mark Hughes |
| Wing | Jamie Ainscough | Jamie Ainscough | Jamie Ainscough | Jamie Ainscough | Jamie Ainscough | Jamie Ainscough |
| Centre | Michael De Vere | Michael De Vere | Ryan Girdler | Ryan Girdler | Ryan Girdler | Ryan Girdler |
| Centre | Matt Gidley | Matt Gidley | Matt Gidley | Matt Gidley | Matt Gidley | Matt Gidley |
| Wing | Adam MacDougall | Adam MacDougall | Adam MacDougall | Adam MacDougall | Adam MacDougall | Adam MacDougall |
| Five-Eighth | Brad Fittler (c) | Brad Fittler (c) | Brad Fittler (c) | Brad Fittler (c) | Brad Fittler (c) | Brad Fittler (c) |
| Halfback | Brett Kimmorley | Brett Kimmorley | Trent Barrett | Trent Barrett | Brett Kimmorley | Brett Kimmorley |
| Prop | Jason Stevens | Jason Stevens | Jason Stevens | Jason Stevens | Jason Stevens | Jason Stevens |
| Hooker | Luke Priddis | Luke Priddis | Luke Priddis | Luke Priddis | Luke Priddis | Luke Priddis |
| Prop | Robbie Kearns | Robbie Kearns | Mark O'Meley | Mark O'Meley | Mark O'Meley | Mark O'Meley |
| Second Row | Bryan Fletcher | Bryan Fletcher | Bryan Fletcher | Bryan Fletcher | Bryan Fletcher | Bryan Fletcher |
| Second Row | Nathan Hindmarsh | Nathan Hindmarsh | Adam Muir | Adam Muir | Adam Muir | Adam Muir |
| Lock | Jason Croker | Jason Croker | Luke Ricketson | Luke Ricketson | Andrew Ryan | Andrew Ryan |
| Interchange | Trent Barrett | Trent Barrett | Craig Gower | Craig Gower | Craig Gower | Craig Gower |
| Interchange | Michael Vella | Michael Vella | Michael Vella | Michael Vella | Michael Vella | Michael Vella |
| Interchange | Ben Kennedy | Ben Kennedy | Matt Adamson | Matt Adamson | Matt Adamson | Matt Adamson |
| Interchange | Rodney Howe | Rodney Howe | Andrew Ryan | Andrew Ryan | Steve Menzies | Steve Menzies |
| Coach | Wayne Pearce | Wayne Pearce | Wayne Pearce | Wayne Pearce | Wayne Pearce | Wayne Pearce |

## Queensland squad

| Position | Game 1 | | Game 2 | | Game 3 | |
| Fullback | Darren Lockyer | Darren Lockyer | Darren Lockyer (c) | Darren Lockyer (c) | Darren Lockyer (c) | Darren Lockyer (c) |
| Wing | Lote Tuqiri | Lote Tuqiri | Lote Tuqiri | Lote Tuqiri | Lote Tuqiri | Lote Tuqiri |
| Centre | Darren Smith | Darren Smith | Darren Smith | Darren Smith | Chris Walker | Chris Walker |
| Centre | Paul Bowman | Paul Bowman | Paul Bowman | Paul Bowman | Paul Bowman | Paul Bowman |
| Wing | Wendell Sailor | Wendell Sailor | Wendell Sailor | Wendell Sailor | Wendell Sailor | Wendell Sailor |
| Five-Eighth | Daniel Wagon | Daniel Wagon | Daniel Wagon | Daniel Wagon | Daniel Wagon | Daniel Wagon |
| Halfback | Paul Green | Paul Green | Paul Green | Paul Green | Allan Langer | Allan Langer |
| Prop | Shane Webcke | Shane Webcke | Shane Webcke | Shane Webcke | Shane Webcke | Shane Webcke |
| Hooker | Kevin Campion | Kevin Campion | Kevin Campion | Kevin Campion | Paul Green | Paul Green |
| Prop | John Buttigieg | John Buttigieg | Russell Bawden | Russell Bawden | John Buttigieg | John Buttigieg |
| Second Row | Gorden Tallis (c) | Gorden Tallis (c) | Dane Carlaw | Dane Carlaw | Brad Meyers | Brad Meyers |
| Second Row | Petero Civoniceva | Petero Civoniceva | Petero Civoniceva | Petero Civoniceva | Petero Civoniceva | Petero Civoniceva |
| Lock | Brad Meyers | Brad Meyers | Brad Meyers | Brad Meyers | Darren Smith | Darren Smith |
| Interchange | Chris Walker | Chris Walker | Chris Walker | Chris Walker | Kevin Campion | Kevin Campion |
| Interchange | Chris Beattie | Chris Beattie | Chris Beattie | Chris Beattie | Carl Webb | Carl Webb |
| Interchange | Carl Webb | Carl Webb | Carl Webb | Carl Webb | Dane Carlaw | Dane Carlaw |
| Interchange | John Doyle | John Doyle | Nathan Fien | Nathan Fien | John Doyle | John Doyle |
| Coach | Wayne Bennett | Wayne Bennett | Wayne Bennett | Wayne Bennett | Wayne Bennett | Wayne Bennett |