Andrew Johns NSW Andrew Johns NSW "Wally"
Images: Channel Nine

Do you believe in the “Queenslander spirit” which southerners supposedly don’t understand?

Almost immediately you could see that Queensland was really going to take to it. They exhibited passion from the very commencement. They’d been getting bashed up for years by NSW … with Queensland players!

I have no doubt the spirit exists. Prior to Origin, I can still remember a caller actually breaking down crying when they did win a match. In between tears, he said, “Isn’t it great to be a Queenslander?” Queensland, because of the origins of Origin, were hungrier and more passionate. It was more meaningful to them.

NSW has lost four series straight now. When are the Blues finally going to win one?

If you look at the number of hours and minutes the two teams have played over all those years, the times they’ve played, there’s actually very little between them. It’s almost even-stevens, with Queensland putting its nose in front more recently with the four-peat. But as we speak, the age and ability question marks are out there on Darren Lockyer. And Queenland have lost a fellow called Dallas Johnson, who’s gone to England to play football. Justin Hodges is injured. Israel Folau, will he be picked? They don’t have as many to choose from as we have, it’s just that the ones they do have are more often than not champions of the game. So it wouldn’t shock me if it turns around this year.

We can’t talk Origin without mention of The King. What’s your favourite Wally Lewis Origin memory?

The second game of the ’89 series at the SFS in Sydney was probably his greatest moment in Origin football. He scored the winning try and he stood there like a colossus among all of them and raised the flag. That night he basically had his troops in the hospital ward. Most of his big names were wounded. A couple of the others were still out there playing wounded.

Will NSW ever have a “Wally” to call our own?

Well, in fairness, we had Andrew (Johns). But Andrew didn’t have the time at Origin level – because of injury – that Wally did. What we did see from Andrew was his return after the neck injury and his total domination of the ’05 series. So there was every reason to think that he could’ve done what Wally did, but Andrew just didn’t get the time. That’s why Lewis is the one they talk about when they talk Origin.