‘We understood the enormity of ’85’: How Mortimer inspired Blues’ series win

Thirty-nine years after inspiring NSW’s first State of Origin series win, Steve Mortimer was again the catalyst for the state’s latest victory.

One of Origin’s most enduring images is that of Mortimer collapsing to the Sydney Cricket Ground turf, before being hoisted upon the shoulders of his teammates after captaining the Blues to their breakthrough 1985 triumph.

It is a moment that has resonated with the class of 2024. Coach Michael Maguire tapped into the spirit of “Turvey” for the current campaign, which culminated in just the third NSW series win that was decided at Suncorp Stadium.

It’s why Maguire arranged for that famous photo – featuring current and past players – to be recreated in the lead-up to their historic 14-4 win to clinch the series on Wednesday night.

“The players really understood the enormity of that moment in ’85,” Maguire said.

“You take it forward and then you’ve got the same people in the same photo, that’s history in itself.

“For this playing group to be a part of that, that’s very special.”

Maguire said that first, famous victory laid the foundations for the latest triumph.

“We’ve got many [NSW heroes], but that ’85 iconic moment where all the old boys talk about what he did on that day that turned the tide of the blue jersey,” Maguire said. “We just spoke about that a lot.

“I don’t know how to measure it, but it’s been a massive part of what we’ve been doing.

Peter Wynn, Noel Cleal, Steve Mortimer, Wayne Pearce and Chris Mortimer.Credit: Grant Trouville

“It’s something there that I’ve probably learned a little bit from the old boys and the chats we’ve had around what passion means.

“Turvey was the one that brought that to the jersey. I have got to say that all the old boys talked about Turvey and that passion. That led me down the path of believing there could be something there that we could put in front of the players.

“It definitely resonated with them.”

No one was more chuffed to follow in the footsteps of Mortimer than the current NSW skipper, Jake Trbojevic who featured in the recreated photo alongside his teammates.

Jake Trbojevic can be seen second from the left.Credit: Grant Trouville

“It was very cool, I was a bit nervous standing behind him. You couldn’t [drop him]!” Trbojevic said.

“Crusher [Cleal] was there and Wayne Pearce, they were in control.

“Seeing his passion for the Blues, you know, just the way he went about his business. We did a lot of stuff [with Mortimer], it’s truly amazing. It was really, really cool looking back.”

Before the iconic moment was recreated on the field, former Australian Test captain Steve Waugh and fast bowler Mike Whitney retold war stories in the home dressing-room. Waugh told the group about the pressure he was feeling before his last-ball century in the New Year’s Test against England in 2003.

Jarome Luai shows off a different kind of fancy footwork.Credit: Grant Trouville

Before the final delivery, he took out his lucky red hanky and wiped his brow. When red threads from the haggard old piece of cloth fell onto the pitch, he figured it was a good omen.

Waugh held the hanky as he spoke, and when he finished speaking Blues players noticed threads on the dressing-room floor, which they promptly picked up. He also regaled stories about taking on Windies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose and being on the flight when former opener David Boon infamously drank 52 beers.

Some of the Blues players couldn’t fathom such a feat, including five-eighth Jarome Luai and captain Jake Trbojevic who were seen playing shots with Waugh’s bat from 2003, which was last valued at $750,000.

Maguire has made Mortimer’s heroics in 1985 the centrepiece of this year’s campaign. He had a bronze statue of Blues players Peter Wynn, Cleal, Wayne Pearce and Mortimer’s brother Chris lifting the skipper to their shoulders made.

That victory in game two in 1985 is considered a line-in-the-sand moment for NSW because they had never won a series. Mortimer was hellbent on that tide being rolled back.

Later, at a dinner at the SCG Members’ Long Bar, Blues players Benny Elias, Paul Sironen and Steve Roach talked about the significance of not just winning Origins but winning them in Brisbane.

Trbojevic said he is still coming to terms with the honour of being a series-winning Blues skipper.

“Oh, it is amazing, honestly beyond my wildest games. It’s still a bit surreal,” Trbojevic said.

“I’ll be honest with you, when Madge told me, I was just hoping the call was to get in the team, you know what I mean?

Blues past and present take to the hallowed turf of the SCG.Credit: Grant Trouville

“When he told me I was captain, I literally could not believe it. I’ll be honest, the first couple of weeks, it was a bit tough, I didn’t feel at home. But as the campaign went on, I feel like I got a bit better.

“All the guys are just great guys.”

Earlier this week, Mortimer, who has been in declining health, celebrated his 68th birthday. The current Blues players recorded a video tribute, congratulating him on the milestone and thanking him for inspiring their campaign.

“We get a lot of inspiration from you and hopefully we will use a bit of your spirit in game III,” said Spencer Leniu in the video.

NSW Blues coach Michael Maguire poses with the State of Origin shield after his side’s series win at Suncorp Stadium.Credit: Adrian Proszenko, SMH

In the sheds after the victory, Maguire posed with the State of Origin shield in front of a backdrop of a huge screen print of the Mortimer moment of 1985. The image was captioned with the words: “Made for a historic victory. Made for more.”

The premiership-winning coach described Mortimer’s recent birthday as a “good omen” and hoped the feats of the current squad could one day be spoken about in similarly reverential tones.

“Would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Maguire said.

“That’s what Origin brings in, that’s what we can all talk about.

“Everywhere I went, especially after losing the first game, I suppose a lot of the chatter was that it won’t be done, can’t be done. This group is the group that changed the pathway.”

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