Until Blues find their own Wayne Bennett they won’t get Origin

A fortnight before the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Wayne Bennett sat for lunch at his favourite restaurant, Pier Nine, in the heart of the financial district on the Brisbane River.

The Broncos had just won the premiership and a delirious nation was gearing up to showcase itself to the world.

There was a lot to be happy about.

But Wayne wasn’t.

As the entrees arrived, he asked the waitress for a pen and scribbled on a paper napkin.

His dining companions were the Broncos’ long-time and well-respected media manager Tony Durkin as well as two editors from Brisbane newspaper The Courier-Mail’s sports section, Barry Dick and myself.

He slid the napkin towards Barry and I, and it simply said: 56-16.

Barry said: “What about it?”

Bennett replied: “It can never happen again”.

Bennett was speaking of game three in that year’s Origin series when the Maroons were embarrassed by that scoreline – 56-16.

It sealed a three-nil series whitewash, with the Blues celebrating tries in outrageous fashion, including Bryan Fletcher’s now infamous “bomb detonation”.

Bryan Fletcher’s hand grenade try celebration.Credit: Nine

It was a complete humiliation at the hands of Brad Fittler and co. So much so, some Sydney scribes wrote the dominance of NSW was so great that the Origin concept itself was under threat because it was hard, in their eyes, to see Queensland ever being able to compete again.

At the lunch, Bennett said he could not stand by and watch Queensland being beaten so badly and that he wanted to coach Queensland again. To his credit, he was extremely sensitive about dethroning then coach Mark Murray.

In the end, once Bennett declared his hand, with the help of The Courier-Mail, a relieved Murray handed over.

Incredibly, but not surprisingly, Queensland did it. A year after NSW threw a party in their faces and the Origin concept was declared “dead”, Bennett led Queensland to a series win thanks to the fairytale return of Allan Langer from the English Super League for the deciding game three. The stuff of legend.

At the end of that 2001 series, Queensland had won the shield 10 times and NSW nine, with one draw.

The tally is now 25 to 17 in Queensland’s favour, with two draws.

After last Wednesday’s embarrassment at Accor Stadium, who in the NSW rugby league establishment will do what Bennett did and decide that it can never happen again?

Who will stand up and say it is unacceptable to lose the 2025 series in the manner they did after winning last year’s series, then completely dominating in game one this year?

Wayne Bennett and Allan Langer were a famous Origin double act.Credit: SMH

Who will say that trailing by 20 points at halftime in two consecutive Origin matches cannot be tolerated?

The answer? Probably no one. And that’s the distinct difference between the states.

While Queensland doesn’t cop it, and finds ways, NSW says things like coach Laurie Daley said in the post-match press conference.

Asked if he was the man to lead NSW again next year, he said he was because “of what we’ve been building”.

He was hurting and shattered and scratching for answers when he said it, but you’re not “building” when you won last year, then won game one easily, only to lose the series.

Except maybe mediocrity.

Having a crack at Daley is like shooting Bambi – you’re bagging a wonderful guy who served his state as well as anyone in the history of Origin, and he desperately wants to replicate his playing success with coaching success. But whichever way you cut it, he was outgunned again and is now one series win in six attempts.

Queensland lost game one this year, and coach Billy Slater dropped his skipper and chief playmaker, Daly Cherry-Evans.

NSW lost game two and did nothing, except reference poor goal kicking and the ref while patting themselves on the back for a second-half fightback.

Laurie Daley and Isaah Yeo after Origin on Wednesday.Credit: NRL Photos

Queensland won game two and made even more changes – introducing late-career breakout star Gehemat Shibasaki and recalling retired favourite son Josh Papali’i.

It’s about finding an edge, a source of inspiration, a reason to get up. Like bringing Alfie back. Whatever it takes.

NSW, meanwhile, took away reasons to “get up”, like entering the field through the long tunnel from their centre of excellence to run on to the field.

Daley and his staff wanted to “keep things normal” and run on through the traditional tunnel from the sheds.

Isaah Yeo said the tunnel overhyped the players and possibly led to Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii flattening Reece Walsh, leading to his send-off in game one last year.

All well and good, except Origin isn’t normal. It’s abnormal, and you have to deal with it.

You have to run on knowing this is no weekend club game.

Things will be thrown at you, like Queensland’s outside-in jamming defence. Yeo and Nathan Cleary said they knew it was coming. If they knew it was coming, where was plan B?

NSWRL boss Dave Trodden has declared Daley will coach the side again in 2026, the second of his two-year deal.

Maybe Daley isn’t the problem. Maybe head office is.

Meanwhile, the game’s ferocious news cycle will wash away the 2025 Origin series.

But someone has to find a napkin, write “26-6 and 20-0”, the halftime scores from games two and three on it, and slide it across a table to someone who will listen.

Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.