5 best New South Wales State of Origin players ever

State of Origin returns for 2024 with the defending champion Queensland Maroons taking on their old enemies the New South Wales Blues. Since the inception of the Rugby League in Australia in 1908, when the code first started in Sydney and Brisbane, clubs have formed in the two Eastern States.

Due to looser gambling laws south of the border, Queensland's clubs did not have anything near the money the big NSWRL clubs could offer. Thus, the very best Queensland players usually ended up playing in Harbour City at three times the salary Brisbane clubs could offer.

The annual State Games were played every year, but pre-1980, the sides were selected based on residency. The NSW sides were usually peppered with the best Queenslanders and the Northerners fielding teams that battled to win a game.

By 1980, it had been five years since Queensland had won a game and 19 years since they won a title, so the Queensland Rugby League proposed to hold an exhibition match for players to represent their states of origin.

When Arthur Beetson switched blue for maroon and led the Queenslanders to victory, the concept was born and it has grown to become one of the most watched programs on Australian television.

The Blues, despite having access to more players and always claiming to have the best team on paper, are trailing the Maroons 16 series to 24, but there was a stretch of dominance from the New South Welshmen and these five players were at the forefront.

5 best New South Wales State of Origin players ever

#5 Paul Gallen

Unlike the rest of this list, Gallen did not have a load of success for NSW, winning only one series in 2014, which was a bitter-sweet year because his club side Cronulla Sharks was dragged across the coals for the peptides scandal. Gallen may have been a controversial figure and he certainly stirred up the Queensland players in the Origin build-up, but his on-field performances across 24 games were inspirational for a New South Wales side that had become a punchline after so much dominance in the 90s and early 2000s.

#4 Wayne Pearce

Junior was a Balmain legend before rising to captain the NSW Blues. Having grown up in a house with a game-day view of Leichhardt Oval, Pearce graced the hallowed turf as a ball boy before graduating through the junior ranks to achieve his dreams.

Remarkably, he was almost blinded in one eye early in his career, yet he went on to captain his club and state, as well as vice captain Australia. He was a tough, uncompromising backrower who punched above his weight. Junior also coached NSW to five wins, a draw, and three losses.

#3 Laurie Daley

The Canberra Raiders of the late 80s became a powerhouse, with Laurie Daley emerging as the next big thing. Tim Sheens switched him from Centre to Five-Eighth where he eventually took over from Wally Lewis in the Test team.

Daley captained NSW to three straight series wins from 1992 to 1994 and Queensland won only three series during his 11-year representative career, one of them in the year Daley sat out of Origin due to his Super League contract. Like Pearce, Daley went on to successfully coach the Blues to a series win, which was the drought-breaking 2014 victory.

#2 Brad Fittler

Freddie was another teen sensation who found instant success with Penrith and New South Wales, taking over from Daley as captain in 1995 due to the Super League saga, being the youngest-ever Blues captain. He had an 8 and 6 win-loss record as captain, being part of nine series victories during the Blues best period. Fittler was also made Australian Captain in 1995. In 2004, NSW made a desperate call to Fittler to save their series, which he did by winning the decider just like Allan Langer had done three years earlier.

#1 Andrew Johns

Joey Johns was the Blues' answer to Wally Lewis, even though he came onto the scene after the King's humble exit. The NSW Immortal reinvented the kicking game and deployed a genius passing game. In fact, some of his best representative football came while playing at dummy half where his vision allowed him to play his forwards and halves into the game. Goalkicking and field goals were also part of his game-winning bag of tricks. Queensland only won three series in his Origin career, then won the next eight after Johns retired.