May 12, 1996: State Of Denial
Ten members of the all-ARL 1995 World Cup team weren't good enough to play for NSW or Queensland when the Super League stars came back.
When they left out every Super League player from the Australian team that won the 1995 World Cup, selectors claimed they had done so on merit.
That was always bullshit.
But exactly how big a steaming pile of the stuff was proven this time 25 years ago when the Super League players were back in consideration for the first State of Origin match of the season.
Ten Australian World Cup stars could not make either side.
Thirteen Super League players returned from their one-year exiles but the selectors did stick to ARL players - Brad Fittler and Trevor Gillmeister - as the respective captains.
Mark Coyne, Kevin Walters, Willie Carne, Mark Caroll, David Fairleigh and Terry Hill all missed out on selection.
“I know last year was another year but I thought it counted for something,” Manly prop Carroll told me on the Sunday night the teams were picked, on the record.
Wendell Sailor, David Furner and Jim Dymock were among the players chosen for their debuts at Suncorp Stadium.
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LEWIS BACKS AN IMPARTIAL CITINGS SYSTEM
Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday May 7 1996
By STEVE MASCORD
FORMER Test captain Wally Lewis last night joined the push for the ARL to appoint an investigations officer after it was decided no action would be taken against Country winger Rod Wishart for an alleged spear tackle.
Wishart was cautioned for a hit on Sydney's Tim Brasher during Country's 18-16 win at Steelers Stadium last Friday, and despite calls for the tackle to be looked at again, Sydney decided yesterday not to lodge a complaint.
The ARL has the power to cite autonomously but did not exercise that power.
"Everyone up here in Queensland is saying, 'Here we go, the rep season has started and out come the blinkers again'," said Lewis.
"Rod is a lovely bloke and would never do anything intentional to hurt someone, but I'd be surprised if there was absolutely no argument that the tackle was reckless or careless."
Lewis said the question was not whether Wishart was guilty, but the fact that the people who decided whether he should be cited Brasher and the Sydney management would soon be in Wishart's camp for the NSW State of Origin campaign.
On Sunday, Cronulla coach John Lang said he had been made to feel like "a dobber in grade three" when winger Mat Rogers suffered a fractured cheekbone and he was asked if he planned to check the videotape.
"John hit the nail on the head when he said he thought someone impartial should look at it," said Lewis. "That's what everyone wants someone impartial."
The AFL already has an investigations officer who watches every Australian football match, taking club complaints into account.
This system acts as a filter between the clubs and the tribunal and offsets the dangers of tit-for-tat citings and players "looking after" their mates.
Sydney manager Geoff Carr said yesterday: "We have an incident in slippery conditions where nobody was hurt, where the alleged victim would give evidence on behalf of the accused, and where there was a clear lack of intent."
Carr said he did not believe Wishart would have been convicted by the tribunal.
In other news, South Sydney football manager Alan Jones has been critical of rugby league during an interview on Fox Sport's Sports Weekly program.
"I've never thought rugby league was worth fighting over for pay TV," Jones said. "I think rugby union is, it's a genuinely international game. Soccer's a genuinely international game.
"I'm not sure rugby league isn't just a tribal game played pretty well in Australia in a couple of cities, not that well in New Zealand and by-and-large in a couple of cities in England not very well at all."
In contrast to league, Jones described rugby union as "a very good product".
Meanwhile, officials will study a video of a tackle by Western Reds' Rodney Howe today after he was reported by referee Rob Alexander.
Newcastle are concerned about the immediate future of fullback Robbie O'Davis (ankle); Western Reds utility David Lomax (knee) may be out for the rest of the year; and South Queensland winger Clinton Schifcofske has been cleared of a broken leg.
GAMES
ARL round eight (May 11):
Cronulla 18 South Sydney 0 at Shark Park
Illawarra 24 North Queensland 8 at Stockland Stadium
I am re-reading Touchstones at the moment, and just finished the chapter where you speak of your disenchantment of the Origin series, something I have felt for years too. I just don't care anymore to be honest, and it is so overblown and squeezed for every morsel of crap.
I think it began back when these teams were announced in 1996 and so many players missed out who ha been Australian reps the year before. Reminded me so much of when Packer finished World Series Cricket and they had to do the same thing.
Also, thank goodness the stupid citing rule got changed. I'd forgotten how bad that was.
Also, thank goodness Alan Jones is not involved with rugby league anymore.