Origin 2020: Scott Prince on the moment Wally Lewis took his boots off
Scott Prince couldn’t believe Wally Lewis had followed him into the rooms after breaking his arm in 2008 – but what the King did next will go down in Origin folklore.
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It was the moment a King reached down to help an injured Prince and an insight into the care one generation of State of Origin Queenslander has for the next.
Former Queensland halfback Scott Prince has recalled the moment ‘King’ Wally Lewis surprised him with his care and concern after Prince had left the field with a broken arm having helped the Maroons to a series winning game three victory in 2008.
After making his debut in 2004, Price was having his best Origin match in 2008 as Johnathan Thurston’s halves partner following an injury to Darren Locyker.
“It was game 3, and I felt like the game had slowed down for me,’’ said Prince, a proud Mt Isa product and Wests Tigers premiership winning captain.
“I felt like this was where I belonged.
“There was 15 minutes to go and Braith Anasta had the ball at the time.
“I was not too fond of Blues’ players, and Braith Anatsa in particular, so I wanted to give him a little bit of what’s doing.”
Prince said he went to hit Anasta across his chest, but his arm instead collected Anasta’s elbow.
“I thought it was a cork, but I remember running off feeling the bones rubbing together.
“I ran off into the shed with the doctor.’’
Prince said he could hear someone coming into the dressing room and coming up behind him as the doctor examined his arm.
“I looked back and it was Wally Lewis. Wally Lewis had followed us up the tunnel.’’
Prince said he started to watch the finish of the match on the television monitor inside the dressing room and was stunned to look down and see Lewis undoing his boots.
“I felt so embarrassed,’’ Prince said.
“I said ‘Wally, you don’t have to do that’.
“But he said ‘no, I insist’.
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“I could not believe it, that The King, one of the greats of the game, an immortal of the game and someone I admired as a kid, was taking my boots off.
“That moment, I feel embarrassed about it, but it is a moment I will never forget.’’
Prince, who also played four Tests for Australia, jokingly claims he only made his Origin debut in 2004 because ‘pretty much every halfback in Queensland had fallen over.’’
“It was a Stephen Bradbury story,’’ Prince said.
“Representing your country at the highest level is unbelievable.
“But to play State of Origin is something, as a kid, that you dreamt of.’’