# 1990 State of Origin series

The 1990 State of Origin series saw the ninth time that the annual three-game series between New South Wales and Queensland representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under "state of origin" selection rules. It was the first year that the Australian Rugby League took an Origin match to Melbourne to showcase the code in Victoria. New South Wales broke an eight-game losing streak in game I and took the series for the first time since 1986.

## Games
### Game One

* Wednesday, 9 May 1990
| New South Wales | 8–0 | Queensland |
| (4 - 1 t) Mark McGaw (4 - 2 g) Michael O'Connor | (Report) | |
* Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 41,235 Referee: David Manson Player of the Match: Ben Elias
Game I at the Sydney Football Stadium was a typical Origin arm-wrestle and resulted in the lowest score in the series' 10-year history to that point. Queensland's Wally Lewis withdrew pre-match due to a hamstring tear (only the 2nd Origin match he had missed in the series' history), Maroon's hero Gene Miles had retired and Tony Currie, Michael Hancock and Kerrod Walters were all out with injuries.
New South Wales' captain Benny Elias played what was regarded as his finest representative performance with a copybook dummy-half display. Blues' centre Mark "Sparkles" McGaw scored the only try of the match. He outplayed his opposite, the Mal Meninga and pulled off a covering tackle on winger Alan McIndoe that was so comprehensive that both McIndoe's boots came flying from his feet. The win was the Blues' first since the post-series exhibition match in 1987.

### Game Two

* Wednesday, 30 May 1990
| New South Wales | 12–6 | Queensland |
| (4 - 1 t) Ricky Stuart (4 - 1 t) Brad Mackay (4 - 2 g) Rod Wishart | (Report) | Les Kiss (4 - 1 t) Mal Meninga (2 - 1 g) |
* Olympic Park, Melbourne Attendance: 25,800 Referee: Greg McCallum Player of the Match: Ricky Stuart
The public relations exercise to showcase the game in Melbourne proved a success with a sell-out crowd of 25,800 cramming into Olympic Park. The game was highlighted by NSW halfback Ricky Stuart racing 70 metres to score, easily outpacing Qld winger Les Kiss who made no ground on the former Wallaby.
Queensland halfback Allan Langer's stealing of the ball from Blues replacement prop Glenn Lazarus helped spell the end of three years of Queensland State of Origin dominance which had included two consecutive series clean sweeps from 1988. Langer's steal was a defining moment giving Rod Wishart the chance to put the Blues ahead 8-6. Shortly afterwards Brad Mackay swooped on an intercept and streaked away for the try that put the game out of reach for the Maroons.

### Game Three

* Wednesday, 13 June 1990
| Queensland | 14–10 | New South Wales |
| (8 - 1 t, 2 g) Gary Belcher (4 - 1 t) Steve Jackson (2 - 1 g) Wally Lewis | (Report) | Glenn Lazarus (4 - 1 t) Mark McGaw (4 - 1 t) Rod Wishart (2 - 1 g) |
* Lang Park, Brisbane Attendance: 31,416 Referee: David Manson Player of the Match: Bob Lindner
In Game III the Blues led 10-4 after just 24 minutes and looked set for a series whitewash. Then the Maroons clawed back to 10-all early in the second half with their Origin "King" Wally Lewis landing a wide conversion after Gary Belcher had taken the earlier kicks. Western Suburbs Magpies' forward Steve Jackson who the year before had scored a Grand Final try to give his club the Canberra Raiders the premiership, scored an almost identical try to give Queensland the game and a face-saving sole victory in the series.

## Teams
### New South Wales

| Position | Game 1 | | Game 2 | | Game 3 | |
| Fullback | Andrew Ettingshausen | Andrew Ettingshausen | Andrew Ettingshausen | Andrew Ettingshausen | Andrew Ettingshausen | Andrew Ettingshausen |
| Wing | Rod Wishart | Rod Wishart | Rod Wishart | Rod Wishart | Rod Wishart | Rod Wishart |
| Centre | Michael O'Connor | Michael O'Connor | Brad Mackay | Brad Mackay | Michael O'Connor | Michael O'Connor |
| Centre | Mark McGaw | Mark McGaw | Mark McGaw | Mark McGaw | Mark McGaw | Mark McGaw |
| Wing | Ricky Walford | Ricky Walford | Graham Lyons | Graham Lyons | Graham Lyons | Graham Lyons |
| Five-eighth | Laurie Daley | Laurie Daley | Des Hasler | Des Hasler | Brad Mackay | Brad Mackay |
| Halfback | Ricky Stuart | Ricky Stuart | Ricky Stuart | Ricky Stuart | Ricky Stuart | Ricky Stuart |
| Prop | Steve Roach | Steve Roach | Steve Roach | Steve Roach | Glenn Lazarus | Glenn Lazarus |
| Hooker | Ben Elias (c) | Ben Elias (c) | Ben Elias (c) | Ben Elias (c) | Ben Elias (c) | Ben Elias (c) |
| Prop | Ian Roberts | Ian Roberts | Ian Roberts | Ian Roberts | Ian Roberts | Ian Roberts |
| Second Row | David Gillespie | David Gillespie | David Gillespie | David Gillespie | David Gillespie | David Gillespie |
| Second Row | Bruce McGuire | Bruce McGuire | Bruce McGuire | Bruce McGuire | Bruce McGuire | Bruce McGuire |
| Lock | Bradley Clyde | Bradley Clyde | Bradley Clyde | Bradley Clyde | Bradley Clyde | Bradley Clyde |
| Replacement | Glenn Lazarus | Glenn Lazarus | Glenn Lazarus | Glenn Lazarus | Mark Sargent | Mark Sargent |
| Replacement | Paul Sironen | Paul Sironen | Paul Sironen | Paul Sironen | Paul Sironen | Paul Sironen |
| Replacement | Geoff Toovey | Geoff Toovey | Andrew Farrar | Andrew Farrar | Andrew Farrar | Andrew Farrar |
| Replacement | Graham Lyons | Graham Lyons | Brad Fittler | Brad Fittler | Greg Alexander | Greg Alexander |
| Coach | Jack Gibson | Jack Gibson | Jack Gibson | Jack Gibson | Jack Gibson | Jack Gibson |

### Queensland

| Position | Game 1 | | Game 2 | | Game 3 | |
| Fullback | Gary Belcher | Gary Belcher | Gary Belcher | Gary Belcher | Gary Belcher | Gary Belcher |
| Wing | Alan McIndoe | Alan McIndoe | Alan McIndoe | Alan McIndoe | Alan McIndoe | Alan McIndoe |
| Centre | Dale Shearer | Dale Shearer | Dale Shearer | Dale Shearer | Dale Shearer | Dale Shearer |
| Centre | Mal Meninga | Mal Meninga | Mal Meninga | Mal Meninga | Peter Jackson | Peter Jackson |
| Wing | Les Kiss | Les Kiss | Les Kiss | Les Kiss | Willie Carne | Willie Carne |
| Five-eighth | Michael Hagan | Michael Hagan | Wally Lewis (c) | Wally Lewis (c) | Wally Lewis (c) | Wally Lewis (c) |
| Halfback | Allan Langer | Allan Langer | Allan Langer | Allan Langer | Allan Langer | Allan Langer |
| Prop | Martin Bella | Martin Bella | Martin Bella | Martin Bella | Martin Bella | Martin Bella |
| Hooker | Steve Walters | Steve Walters | Kerrod Walters | Kerrod Walters | Kerrod Walters | Kerrod Walters |
| Prop | Dan Stains | Dan Stains | Sam Backo | Sam Backo | Sam Backo | Sam Backo |
| Second Row | Paul Vautin (c) | Paul Vautin (c) | Dan Stains | Dan Stains | Trevor Gillmeister | Trevor Gillmeister |
| Second Row | Wally Fullerton-Smith | Wally Fullerton-Smith | Gary Coyne | Gary Coyne | Gary Coyne | Gary Coyne |
| Lock | Bob Lindner | Bob Lindner | Bob Lindner | Bob Lindner | Bob Lindner | Bob Lindner |
| Replacement | Mark Coyne | Mark Coyne | Trevor Gillmeister | Trevor Gillmeister | Kevin Walters | Kevin Walters |
| Replacement | Kevin Walters | Kevin Walters | Andrew Gee | Andrew Gee | Michael Hagan | Michael Hagan |
| Replacement | Gary Coyne | Gary Coyne | Mark Coyne | Mark Coyne | Andrew Gee | Andrew Gee |
| Replacement | Trevor Gillmeister | Trevor Gillmeister | Kevin Walters | Kevin Walters | Steve Jackson | Steve Jackson |
| Coach | Arthur Beetson | Arthur Beetson | Arthur Beetson | Arthur Beetson | Arthur Beetson | Arthur Beetson |