Few tears for Blues captain Paul Gallen who has played his final State of Origin Game

WHY don’t Blues fans revere their State of Origin heroes? We don’t have the same love, admiration or respect for our champions as Queensland does, writes Phil Rothfield.

Paul Gallen runs out to represent New South Wales for the last time.

WHAT is it about NSW and the fact we don’t love our State of Origin heroes?

Paul Gallen said goodbye last night after a wonderful career yet there were few if any tears.

It’s not just the polarising Sharks skipper we’re talking about. We don’t love Robbie Farah either. We don’t love out greatest player, Joey Johns.

We didn’t love Benny Elias, despite the fact he, like the rest of them, was a champion.

Paul Gallen on another trademark burst for New South Wales. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Even Freddie Fittler is considered a bit of a jibberer and rogue rather than a Blues icon.

Then you look at Queensland and their heroes.

King Wally, Alfie Langer, Mal Meninga, Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Fatty Vautin. Shane Webcke … there’s not enough space on this page to list them all.

They are loved, admired, respected, treasured and revered.

They get a newspaper mask when they quit. They are forever legends.

Gallen on Wednesday played his 24th game for our state, overtaking Laurie Daley to become the third all-time most capped player for NSW behind Andrew Ettingshausen (27) and Brad Fittler (31).

He captained NSW for the 16th time, overtaking Danny Buderus (15) to have the most appearances as skipper for the Blues.

Ben Elias was also one of the NSW greats but didn’t have a great deal of fans.

With his seventh run he became only the second player in Origin history behind Petero Civoniceva (481) to run 400 times.

North of border he’d get a statue. All he gets here is early arthritis.

From the 3296 metres. All of them fearless. Or the 742) tackles. All of them bone crunching.

On Wednesday no-one was hurting about his departure. There was no sadness in the send-off.

Phil Gould calls him selfish and has been bagging him publicly and relentlessly for years.

Could you image Paul Vautin saying the same thing about a Queenslander? Of course not.

That’s the way we are in NSW. It’s sad actually. We don’t love, admire or respect our champions like the Maroons do.

NSW's Paul Gallen incident with QLD's Cameron Smith during game 3 of the 2016 Origin series between the NSW Blues and the Queensland Maroons at ANZ Stadium, Homebush. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Up there you’re a Queenslander first, club footballer second.

In Sydney and around the state we’re brought up following clubs. Dragons, Parra, Bulldogs and Eels, Sharks, Roosters, Rabbitohs. We don’t particularly like Manly players.

There is so much tribalism amongst the nine Sydney clubs that we struggle to love OUR superstars.

Queenslanders are born and raised to follow the Maroons.

The Broncos, Cowboys and Titans run second, third and fourth to the Maroon jumper.

It’s something, as Blues fans, we will never match them on.

But as for Gallen … he’s a legend and, in my opinion, one of the greatest NSW forwards of all time.

No Blues player has given as much for his state.

He deserved the winning send-off.

He deserved the winning send-off — and that conversion.

Finally, the state stood and applauded.

Let’s have more of it.

HIGHLIGHT

No more Origin. No more QLD. We can now get back to the serious business of premiership footy and cheer for every team bar the Broncos Cowboys to lift the trophy on the October long weekend.

LOWLIGHT

Mike Baird is a typical politician. One who loves the limelight but one who is rarely spotted when the going gets tough. Baird did not attend the Origin match at Homebush because the series was already done and dusted. Instead he sent poor Troy Grant, the acting premier who has copped a barrage of criticism over the decision to shut down greyhound racing.

UNDER THE CAP

In a VB State of Origin promotion, NSW Blues caps were selling for $10 with a purchase of beer. There were so many leftovers yesterday before the dead rubber, the caps were going for just 50c.

CHEAP SEATS

It was a similar story with ticket sales. In fact despite a crowd of more than 60,000 it was one of the lowest grossing Origin games since the opening of ANZ Stadium. Tickets, including transport to the game, were selling for as little as $25.

RIGHT SAID FRED

We can reveal why Ben Barba and former Broncos winger Jharal Yow Yeh were so desperate to get a start in the NRL suite last night where the special guest was Arsenal legend and Calvin Klein model Freddie Ljungberg who is in town to promote ticket sales for the Gunners’ games against Sydney FC and the Wanderers. Both Barba and Yow Yeh are fanatical Arsenal fans.

GAME CHANGER

With Sydney struggling to sell Game 3 tickets there is already talk of increasing funding by playing one game in Brisbane, one game in Sydney and one on a rotation basis in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland in future years.

A sin bin doesn’t mean it’s time for a conference, Cooper.

SALLY Ms

3: COOPER CRONK: Getting binned doesn’t mean have a conference with Thurston to delay the game

2: BRETT FINCH: Channel 9’s man clocked for one-minute last night. Nice work if you can get it.

1.COREY PARKER: Happy retirement

Originally published as Few tears for Blues captain Paul Gallen who has played his final State of Origin Game