Families of Maroons stars Matt Gillett, Greg Inglis had football rivalry in rural NSW

IN Origin II they will stand united for Queensland. But for 50 years the families of Matt Gillett and Greg Inglis have been football rivals in rural NSW.

Matt Gillett at Maroons training

TOMORROW night they will stand united for Queensland.

But for the past 50 years the families of Matt Gillett and Greg Inglis have been footballing rivals in rural NSW.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the bizarre family ties that have linked the Gillett and Inglis clans for three generations.

It centres around the league-mad town of Macksville on the NSW North Coast, where being a star in the club competition meant you were a star full stop.

In the early 1980s, Inglis' father Wade Blair, a rugged prop, would often aim his sizeable frame at Gillett's father Peter, a diminutive playmaker.

Twenty years earlier, Inglis' grandfather Alex Blair clashed with Matt's grandfather Allan, who played 250 games in the Macksville league competition.

The town's main football oval and snooker tournament is now named after him.

Peter Gillett, a passionate NSW supporter until Matt was picked for the Maroons last month, remembers Inglis' father Wade being a handy footballer.

"He often played for an all-Aboriginal team against us and they were very good," Peter said.

"Wade was a different type of player than Greg. Wade was stocky and thick and didn't have Greg's height which is like me and Matt, as Matt has four inches on me, easily.

"I remember Wade's team doing all sorts of tricks with the footy. They were very gifted.

"Allan always had wraps on Greg's grandfather too."

Matt said he had heard of the historic rivalry between his and the Inglis families.

"There's probably quite a number of links between us because both our families have long history in Macksville," Matt said.

"My grandmother is still in Macksville and I think she gets a bit of stick in town now because I play for the Maroons.

"It stirred up a bit of controversy in Macksville.

"My family has great rugby league heritage and it's something I'm very proud of."

Despite his NSW roots, there is no questioning Matt's allegiance to the Maroons as his family moved to Bribie Island when he was three. But dad Peter revealed he found it odd supporting Queensland.

"I've been a mad NSW fan all my life, the whole family has," he said.

"Matt was a NSW fan until he was 15 and decided to go for Queensland.

"On the day of Origin we used to have muck-around games here on Bribie Island between the NSW and Queensland kids and until his mid-teens Matt would always choose NSW.

"Me and my wife Debbie went to the first Origin in Melbourne and Matt got us some Queensland track pants and shirts to wear. It was a very weird feeling wearing Queensland gear."