Graham Lowe: Origin - A different state of mind

Next week I have been invited to this year's opening State of Origin game at the new Suncorp Stadium and also to the Queensland's FOGs - or Former Origin Greats - luncheon and reunion.

It was the biggest thrill of my career when I, a proud Kiwi and former New Zealand coach, was asked to coach Queensland's Origin team in 1991.

I certainly don't mean to be disrespectful to New Zealand, but, to be invited into Australia's jewel in the crown of rugby league is a pretty special thing for a Kiwi.

And, despite how tough our rugby mad country thinks their game is, State of Origin football is the hardest footy on the planet.

Thinking about what is to come next week has brought back many great memories, but one that really sticks in my mind is the yell "Queenslander", which the players use to give themselves a lift.

The battle cry "Queenslander!" is the big difference between the two states and that, along with the spirit it expresses, are the things New South Wales have not been able to buy.

When that word is yelled, it carries with it many years of frustration and anger at the treatment dished out by the New South Wales Rugby League-dominated Australian Rugby League board to the sunshine state.

Both teams field great players, although NSW has the advantage of more players to choose from.

This in itself provides tremendous motivation for the Queenslanders, who are always the underdogs, although current NSW coach Phil Gould has spent plenty of time trying to position his team this year as underdogs, wrongly thinking it might make a difference.

Queensland Rugby League have a history of unfair treatment from the Australian Rugby League but Origin football has evened things up a little. The Queenslanders have won 33 games to NSW's 30 and two have been drawn.

When I first heard the call "Queenslander" in our dressing room before my first game as Queensland coach I immediately saw the impact and what it meant to the players.

I had introduced a call I wanted the players to use during the game if any one of them at any time thought one of our players - or for that matter the whole team - needed a lift.

The call was "tempo" and on hearing it everyone had to lift their intensity for the next few minutes, no matter how stuffed they felt.

We used the call during the week at training and I thought it was working well.

Then came the night of the big game. I gave my talk to the players in the changing rooms, reminding them of the "Tempo" call. After I had finished, our captain Wally Lewis, pulled me aside and asked if he could say a few words.

What he said has gone down in State of Origin folklore, and probably won the game for us that night.

The atmosphere in the room was already unlike anything I had experienced before and everyone seemed to be in a trance, including me.

Wally stood at the end of the room and just looked at everyone with a stare that would have scared Saddam Hussein, and then said the word that all those who wear the Maroon jersey have burned into their hearts.

"I know Lowie has given us the Tempo call," he said, "but forget that, our call is 'Queenslander'. That is what we are."

And the battle cry was born.

Lewis then whispered in my ear an apology for changing things but there was no need, I could see the difference.

The atmosphere changed from electric to nuclear and to this day I have never witnessed anything that comes close to that experience.

We had a number of young players including Steve Renouf, Paul Hauf, Gary Larson and Billy Moore playing their first Origin game and the NSW media had seized on this and written us off.

But if that same media had seen what happened in our changing sheds, they would have bet their houses on our guys.

I thought I was ready for the intensity that would capture us all but honestly, I can't describe it, and I certainly can only begin to wonder at the strength the players had gained because I felt it myself. I thought I could take on King Kong.

When you coach you form a bond with your players that lasts a long time, but from my experience the everlasting comradeship of Origin footy, especially those lucky enough to enjoy the Queensland experience, lasts forever.

And for the record, Queensland won that first game at Lang Park 6-4. We lost the second in Sydney 14-12 and won the decider back up at Lang Park 14-12. It doesn't get much closer than that. A two-point difference between the teams over three games.

* * *

Both the Warriors and the Sharks would probably prefer to be playing someone else tomorrow.

They both have been playing below their best and are due to give another team a hiding.

The Warriors have more strike power, but their attack has been very one-dimensional recently, where as the Sharks have been guilty of shooting themselves in the foot.

Sharks halfback Brett Kimmorley's form has been better than that of Stacey Jones in recent games but Jones does seem to enjoy his battles with the Sharks halfback and it brings out his best. There lies the winning or losing of the game.

Once again the load is on the Warriors No 7, trouble is he looks as though he is carrying a groin injury.

If he is, he's not going to get better playing, and it does highlight his importance to the Warriors' success.

If a win does not come the home side's way this week, questions have got to be asked and answered.