‘That’s not a try, that’s a miracle’: 30-year anniversary of iconic Mark Coyne State of Origin moment

NSW arrived at the Sydney Football Stadium for the opening game of the 1994 series with their hands tentatively on the Origin shield. What followed became one of the most talked-about Origin moments of all time.

If NSW coach Michael Maguire is looking for any additional motivation for his side heading into the decider, he could do worse than listen to the words of Blues legend Ricky Stuart.

Thirty years after Queensland centre Mark Coyne scored one of the most remarkable tries in rugby league history, Stuart still burns. Every replay is like a dagger through the heart of the NSW half, who became one of the Blues’ greatest coaches.

Stuart loves Origin and relished pulling on a sky blue jersey. But there is also a tinge of regret when Origin arrives because he knows the Coyne try – scored in the opening game of the 1994 series – will be shown time and time again.

Over the past 30 years, it has become the soundtrack for the Maroons. A moment of brilliance that has become synonymous with everything that encapsulates what it means to be a Queenslander.

Stuart has heard them all. That the Maroons fight to the death. That they’re never dead and buried. What makes it worse is that the Coyne try is used as evidence of that very Maroons spirit.

“To this day I’m still embarrassed about the way Coyney got under my clutches,” Stuart said.

“Every time Origin comes around and I see that try I’m still embarrassed about my attempt.

“I’m not saying that to make your story sound better.”

On the 30-year anniversary of Coyne’s magical moment, this is the story of the greatest try in Origin history through the eyes of those involved.

REIGNING CHAMPIONS

NSW arrived at the Sydney Football Stadium for the opening game of the 1994 series with their hands on the Origin shield. The Blues were led by coach Phil Gould, and boasted a side littered with superstars. Stuart, Laurie Daley and Brad Fittler were joined by the likes on Glenn Lazarus, Ben Elias and Ian Roberts.

Wally Lewis was in his second year as coach of a Maroons side that included Allan Langer, Mal Meninga, Steve Renouf and Steve Walters.

For the vast majority of the opening game, NSW were the better side.

With five minutes remaining, the Blues led 12-4, thanks to tries to Paul Harragon, a powerful effort from close to the line, and Brad Mackay, who finished off some smart work by Daley and Fittler.

Ray Warren called the legendary moment.

A SLIVER OF HOPE

The Maroons were running out of time, but they gave themselves a sliver of hope when Willie Carne scored off a Coyne pass in the 75th minute. When Meninga converted the difference was two points and the miracle was in play.

Stuart, cognisant of chewing up time on the clock, put the ball into touch and a scrum was packed.

In the commentary box, legendary caller Ray Warren was among those on guard.

Warren: “I was always on the lookout for the Queenslanders to jump out of the grave and come back to life. It seemed to be that they made a habit of getting out of jail.

“They are never dead and they are never buried. If anybody doubts that playing against them, than you are going to get beat.”

Steve Renouf: “Through the 90s we had a simple catch cry. We would say it under the posts like ‘never give up’. That was our catch cry through the 90s. I think we had a different one every year. It was just about putting in for the 80 minutes and never go down wondering, which we didn’t obviously.

“That is what we lived on. That epitomised what we were – we would fight to the end. Just from being on the field, yes we knew we had a chance. It was ‘let’s just see how we go’. We knew that was our last play. We knew we had to make some yardage but we also knew we had to be there for one another. That was about us never giving up.”

AND IT BEGINS

The Maroons were 60 metres out, on the right hand side of the field, when Coyne played the ball. Meninga was at dummy half and the ball is speared across the backline. Langer, Kevin Walters and Willie Carne exchange passes before the ball ends up in the hands of Renouf on the opposite side of the field.

Renouf juggles the ball before he accelerates into space and is confronted by Paul McGregor and Stuart. He looks in field and finds winger Michael Hancock with what resembles a flick pass.

Renouf: “I call it an inside-out pass. It is like an under roll of the wrist. It was like a Shane Warne thing. I didn’t have the space to convert to a two-hand pass so I thought I would give that a go and it worked. I then became a spectator and I just watched the play go down the field.”

Coyne: “What’s really clear to me is, when I saw the ball come back inside (from Michael Hancock), I’ve always been someone who counted numbers (in the defensive line) and I was looking at the numbers thinking, ‘God if this ball keeps coming out then I’m going to be with a chance of some clear space’.

“Each pass that came back towards my side I could see that the numbers were running out for NSW and I was just sweating on the ball to keep coming. Obviously it kept coming.”

Steve Renouf was a key man in the lead-up.

THE RENOUF PASS

Hancock took the Renouf pass and was confronted by Andrew Ettingshausen, one of the best defensive centres of his era. Ettingshausen’s tackle was copybook. He put his shoulder into Hancock’s ribs and drove him backwards. But he couldn’t stop the offload and the Maroons winger found Darren Smith looming in support.

Hancock: “I couldn’t even see Darren Smith. I was going backwards and ET did a great job in the tackle. I still got my hands free and all I could hear was a name. I could hear, ‘Mick, Mick, Mick’.

“Obviously, then Smithy just appeared at the last minute. I am throwing a ball to him as I am going backwards. When you play with guys all your life – like Steve I know inside out – you know where they are going, what they are doing, what they are thinking. That made the parts in the middle all function well, being connected.”

Ettingshausen: “I remember tackling Mick Hancock, I had him up over the shoulder and I was burying him into the turf and he threw the ball that allowed them to keep passing the ball all the way to the other side and score in the corner.

“I lost two (Origin) games on the bell, and I won two games on the bell, so I know the feeling.”

‘HERE’S THE BIG FELLA’

Smith was the next Queenslander to play his part. He had started on the bench but sucked in Daley and Graham Mackay, before finding Langer.

Blues forward David Gillespie dragged down Langer, who still found Meninga. By this stage, the Maroons were only 15 metres out and the crowd were on their feet. So was Warren. “Here’s the big fella,” he boomed as Langer’s pass found Meninga.

Warren: “It was just razzle-dazzle, hot potato. I think counting them, 11 sets of hands used the ball at some stage. When it went to one side of the field and started to come back, I thought ‘hello, hello, they’re going to do it again’.”

coyne try GIf

THAT FINAL PUSH

Coyne still he plenty of work to do. When he received the pass from Meninga he was 10 metres out with Fittler bearing down on him. Coyne stepped off his right foot, burrowed under Fittler and reached out with his right arm to score. Stuart arrived late but couldn’t prevent Coyne getting the ball down. Nor could Elias. The Maroons were jumping for joy. In the stands, Lewis bear-hugged legendary team manager Tosser Turner.

Lewis: “I think I almost knocked him out. The ball got planted down. Tosser Turner, God rest his soul, yelled out ‘did he get there, did he get there’. I was jumping up and down. I stopped. Then you look of the referee’s signal. He blew the whistle and we went nuts.”

Coyne: “Mal got the ball and drew in that last defender, which gave me a pretty good shot for the tryline.

“The NSW players were obviously flying over from the outside, big Freddy (Fittler) was the one that initially contacted me. I didn’t have a lot of skills, but I had a good right-foot step during my career. I was on the right side of the field which was perfect for me and given that Freddy was flying over, I always knew that I was going to have a pretty good chance to get inside him and reach out and get the ball down.

“I think we all knew it was special. But I don’t think we all realised that it was going to be recognised as one of the greatest tries in Origin. There’s been other tries obviously that have won games (in Origin), but that one seems to have captured the imagination of people and with Ray Warren, it was just a magnificent call.

“The fact that I’m talking to you about 30 years later, shows it’s still important to people. I’ve had some great moments in my career, but that’s definitely right up there. I’m so proud that I was the one who was able to finish that try off.”

Hancock: “My kids now replay it sometimes and show me. They are great memories to have. You are part of a try that is iconic in one of our iconic games. It epitomises that don’t-give-up Queensland mentality.”

Meninga: “Obviously it was a great occasion and it was a great try. It was a great win.”

Ricky Stuart is still filthy.

RICKY: ‘I’M STILL EMBARRASSED’

The joy in the Queensland camp was mirrored by the devastation in sky blue jerseys.

Stuart: “We had numbers in defence and it was covered, but all of a sudden we didn’t show enough urgency into wanting to shut down some spaces.

“We knocked off on the inside of the football and that’s where we were most vulnerable. It was so disappointing because we had the game under control. But in Origin you can’t switch off for one tackle, let alone the six, seven or eight, or however many it was.

“I’d come across in cover defence and then the ball went back onto my inside and I’d covered a lot of metres, but yet I offered such a feeble attempt of tackle on the goal line that I’m still embarrassed about.”

Fittler: “All I remember is trying to cover Mal and knowing he had Coyne on his right. Trying to anticipate his right-foot step, when it was coming. There wasn’t much space to the try line.

“I remember thinking I should headhigh him. I got a hand to him and remember sitting there thinking I’d lost the game for us. Good thing was, we went on to win the series.”

Elias: “I remember like it was yesterday. I must’ve covered every square metre on that football field to try and stop that play. It really was one of those moments where by the time I got back there it was two seconds too slow. Unfortunately you’re underneath one of the greatest tries in Origin history.

“When I watch it now I shake my head. That try was a miracle. Thirty years later you still shake your head and you think, ‘Wow’.”

Queensland celebrate the Game 1 victory. Picture: Geoff McLachlan

WON THE BATTLE, LOST THE WAR

Queensland had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, going on to win 16-12. They won the battle but they didn’t win the series. The Blues went on to win the next two games and retain the Origin shield, a source of great regret for Meninga, who would finish his Origin career at the close of that series.

For others, that game represents a highlight of their careers, including Warren. He went on to call 99 Origin games but still regards that call as one of the greatest of his career.

Warren: “I never wrote down a script ever for anything in my career. It just came out. People must get sick of listening to it back but it does the rounds every year, at least a few hundred times.

“People say to me ‘what is the favourite moment in your career’ and that is obviously on top of the pile.”

Meninga: “My memory is we lost the series. The thing that I draw inspiration from was that was one of the motivating factors when I was coaching the team – never be complacent. It is a regret of mine that year as opposed to excitement.”

Stuart: “Gus (Gould) spoke about how we were knocked off (in defence). That was the first thing he showed in our camp in Origin II. You can’t knock off any tackle in Origin, which is why Origin is the product that it is. There’s no moment you can relax and that’s a classic example of it.”

It is a message that still resonates today and one that Maguire would do well to share with his players in the lead to next week, when the series kicks off at Accor Stadium.