The legendary brawl in 1971’s interstate match is in a league of it’s own

Four sent off, a field invasion, bottles thrown over the fence and the ref needing a police escort - welcome to interstate rugby league 1971 style.

Referee Keith Holman in his favourite pose - laying down the law.

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It’s a fair bet that Sunday night’s Origin clash in Perth will be a tough encounter, but it’s a deadset certainly that it won’t be a patch on game two of the 1971 interstate series.

In arguably the most sensational match ever seen at Lang Park referee Keith Holman sent four players from the field, a spectator jumped the fence and was apprehended by three NSW players as he abused Holman and the game ended with police pelted by cans and bottles.

Referee Keith Holman gets a police escort off Lang Park after sending three Queensland players from the field in Game Two of the 1971 interstate series. Picture by Jim Fenwick.

For Queensland front-rower Len Dittmar, playing in his first series, it was a baptism of fire.

“That was the year the QRL decided to get all scientific and brought in doctors and trainers,” he recalled. “They had us sleeping on stretchers at Lang Park the week before the first game and trained the shit out of us every day.

“Me and Wayne Bennett were the only ones who could take it. Wayne was a clean-living copper and I was getting ready for the surf-lifesaving titles, but it almost killed the others.

“Back then training was just a bit of a run around the oval and a few beers. Poor old (five-eighth) Ricky Scanlan was so stiff he couldn’t walk up the stairs. He had to go up backwards.”

Len Dittmar with his prized 1971 Queensland jersey at his Snadgate home this week. Picture: Claudia Baxter/AAP.

But nothing on the training paddock could prepare Dittmar for what he would encounter on the field.

“Before we ran out for the first game our captain Ray Laird said to us, ‘now remember, no-one shake hands with these bastards’. I thought, ‘gee, this is serious’.

“Our hooker Brian Fitzsimmons took me aside and said, ‘every time I play against these blokes I get knocked out.’ I was 20 years old. I thought to myself, ‘What are you telling me for?’

“We packed down for the first scrum and everything was fine, then the second scrum all hell broke loose. There were punches flying everywhere. I got into a punch-up with John O’Neill. We ended up pretty good mates years later but I was just hitting anything I could. My arms were going like windmills. I think I might have hit the ref.”

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The referee for the first game was Queenslander Henry Albert. His policy was to let the players get the fight over with and then concentrate on the game.

Holman, a former NSW halfback wasn’t quite as broadminded.

“We went pretty well for a bunch of young blokes in that first game (won 12-3 by NSW with Bennett scoring a try for Queensland and Bob Fulton crossing twice for the Blues). Holman wasn’t going to let that happen again. It was a square-up.”

The first player sent off was fullback Laird after a blatant stiff-arm tackle ironed-out NSW centre Des Kimmorley, father of future Blues’ halfback Brett Kimmorley.

Next was NSW prop Bob O’Reilly who tried to decapitate winger Bob Peut. Then followed Maroons forwards Russell Hughes and Rod Tolhurst, leaving Queensland with 10-men and forced to pack a three-man scrum as the Blues ran away 30-2.

NSW prop Bob “Bear” O’Reilly was the second sent off for a headhigh tackle on Queendland winger Bob Peut.

“He rooted the game,” Dittmar said of Holman. “That NSW side was the best team on earth. What hope did we have after he sent three of our blokes off?

“And none of them deserved to go.”

Not even Laird, whose animosity for the Blues – and especially NSW fullback Graeme Langlands - was legendary?

“Well okay, maybe Lairdy. He knocked a few over in his time, but that’s how it was back then. They were tough bastards. They’d try to maim you and if you let them get away with it they’d run all over you.

“When we went down there for the next game they treated us like second-call citizens but we only lost by a couple of points.

Joe Vasta came into the side for that game. He was a tough rooster with a head like a besser-block. I remember one time he was taking the ball up and when Bob O’Reilly came in to tackle him Joe put his head down, hit him square on his chest and just kept going straight over the top of him.

“They were tough men and rough games back then, but geez I enjoyed it – and so did the crowds.”

* The names of all players who represented Queensland prior to the first State of Origin match in 1980 are displayed on an honour wall at the northern concourse of Suncorp Stadium.