Game II 1984 State of Origin series

game ii played on cold , wet night saw 30,000 cram sydney cricket ground, signalling new south wales public had embraced origin concept. mud, rain , tolerant eye of referee barry gomersall combined form explosive mix. progress arduous in scg quagmire , handling impossible.

blues prop steve roach triggered all-in brawl in second tackle of match players trading blows more minute afterwards in 3 separate melees. sight of chris close, jumper torn off, going blow-for-blow new south wales lock ray price became enduring origin image. when order restored, gomersall merely awarded penalty against blues (which had called fight started) , allowed play continue.

both sides dug in slogging defensive contest , not surprisingly, when gomersall called halt half-time, neither side had scored. bad conditions, blues second-rower noel cleal attempted line drop out ball stick in gluey mud , trickle metre forward. in contrast, wally lewis had earlier kicked drop out 40 metres downfield drew glare gomersall, quarter line drop out lewis 10 minutes game had barely travelled 10 metres. lewis later admitted had distracted gomersall calling team stay onside. when gomersall looked away check, lewis kicked ball caught before hit ground. deadlock broken when mal meninga landed penalty goal. shortly afterwards queensland prop greg dowling scored memorable origin try. lewis had been peppering new south wales line searching kicks , chipped ahead, aiming in-goal area. in moment of fortune maroons ball struck cross-bar , dowling had been following through, took extraordinary catch on finger tips centimetres rain soaked ground , plunged across line in splash of mud score , give queensland 8-0 lead.

the blues responded penalty goal winger ross conlon reducing queensland lead converted try when maroon centre gene miles powered way on line dummy half, queensland lead extended 14-2 , there no way blues.