Board of shame motivating Queensland to win Origin series

IT takes pride of place in Queensland's inner-sanctum.

IT takes pride of place in Queensland's inner-sanctum. An ad-hoc results board, erected by the Maroons' coaching staff, that records two decades of interstate maulings when Queensland were treated as "bums" by NSW.

Whenever the Maroons' class of 2013 stroll through their team room, the board of shame stares back, a grim reminder of Queensland's footballing depression now motivating the side's quest for an eighth consecutive Origin series win.

Any scintilla of Maroon complacency is quickly swept away by one glance at the 'honour' roll. It indirectly tells the story of the 1959 heroes, who were the last Queensland team to win an interstate series before the birth of State of Origin in 1980.

For 20 years in between, Queensland were annual whipping boys, winning just eight of 69 interstate clashes from 1960-80.

In the lead-up to Origin's inaugural match at Lang Park in 1980, NSW had won 27 of the previous 29 games. To compound the misery, the Maroons were embarrassed by their own, with Queensland stars such as Arthur Beetson and Kerry Boustead forced to represent NSW because they were signed to Sydney first-grade clubs.

Some of the thrashings exceeded anything the current Blues have experienced, with pre-Origin Queensland sides suffering scorelines such as 53-7, 41-3 and 69-5.

This is the hidden motivation driving Mal Meninga's troops. And why, when many NSW fans believe Queensland are intoxicated by too much success, Maroons players are still thirsting for more.

"As Mal has said to us as a group, we have some catching up to do," says Queensland half-back Cooper Cronk.

"You go back to 1959, NSW winning so many series ... I've seen the board up in our team room of all the games they have won, it's built on respect over a long period of time.

"No matter what transpired last year, Origin series always come down to the little moments that determine the outcome of the game.

"Mal deserves compliments, his greatest strength is providing an environment or a culture that allows us to express ourselves on and off the football field.

"He facilitates that and the players embrace it, no matter where you are at club level, every player looks forward to coming into camp."

Queensland legend Wally Lewis recalls his state's darkest days, and the message Meninga now passes on to the current generation.

"It was like we were bums wasting a bit of NSW's time having to play interstate matches," Lewis said after Queensland swept to a seventh consecutive crown last season.

"If there is a new face in this team, Mal makes sure they find out all about our past ... the way we were treated before State of Origin."

Meninga scoffs at suggestions this Queensland team is ripe for the picking. His pain is their pain.

"The past series are gone. There's no complacency at all," he said.

"The reason why they handle success well is because they are good people with a sense of humility about what they do.

"With humility and hard work comes continual success. I firmly believe that.

"Once you have that humility and affirmation about you, then if you prepare really well, success may follow.

"As long as they play to their potential on Wednesday night, that is all that matters to me."