The 1995 series in which Fatty Vautin’s “Neville Nobodies” beat the star-studded Blues three-nil is regarded as one of Queensland’s greatest Origin victories but not all the action was

on the field.

At least three of the Maroons cleaned up big time in the back pocket.

“For the first game we were 9/2 outsiders,” recalled Vautin.

“From memory they were $1.10 to win and we were $4.50. I thought, ‘I’ll have a piece of that’ and put $200 on us. We won 2-nil and I’ve got back $1100.

“The next game we’re 4-1. I thought that was ridiculous so I’ve had another $200 on us and got $1000 back. Then for Game Three we’re 5-2. I’ve gone thankyou and put down another 200 for a $700 collect.”

Backrower Billy Moore didn’t have to go to a bookie to lay his bets. The action came to him.

“After the teams were announced I was having a drink at Percy’s Hotel over the road from North Sydney Oval with my Bears’ teammate Greg Florimo.

“Flo’s on the bench for the Blues in Game One and he reckons they’re going to kill us.

“I tell him ‘I don’t think so’. He says, ‘let’s have $500 on it’. I can’t shake his hand quick enough.

“After we’ve won the first game he’s straight onto me saying, ‘double or nothing?’ Suits me.

“He comes into the starting side and we win that one too and I don’t hear from him for a few days.

“The next time I see him is Bears training and I go straight up to him and say, ‘double or nothing again?’

“He says, ‘I can’t. My wife won’t let me. She thinks you’re going to win that one too’. Turns out she had more idea than he did.”

But the member of the side who had the most luck was team captain Trevor Gillmeister.

“That whole six weeks we were together I couldn’t lose,” he says.

“The very first night we got together a few of us have gone to the casino and I’ve cleaned up.

“Then everything I’ve backed on the punt has come home as well.

“The boys are loving it. I’m their captain and I’m on the greatest winning streak of my life.

“They reckon if I’m winning at the track I’ll be winning on the field as well so they’re all telling me, ‘keep it going Gilly, keep it going’.

“I’ve had $500 to win the first game at 9-2, $500 on Game Two at 4-1 and another $500 on Game Three at 9-2.

“All together, on every bet I’ve had at the casino, the track and the series from the first day we went into camp to the day we packed up and headed home I reckon I was up $40,000.”

Gillmeister’s only regret was that he didn’t make his first $500 Origin bet an “all up” for the series.

“I hate to think how much I would have made,” he says.

His coach could have told him.

“I worked it out,” Vautin said.

“If I’d gone all up on my first $200 bet I would have won $17,000.”

Given that information Gillmeister gives the answer of a true punter.

“Oh well,” he says. “That’s gambling for you.”