Although the 2020 State of Origin is going to be played after the NRL season finishes, that doesn’t stop the A to Z of the NRL squaring the ledger with the Queensland Origin One Game Wonders after our previous effort for the NSW Blues.
For us, the one game wonder is not a derogatory term, merely a rugby league story that never quite got going, or someone who was just unlucky to be in a position that had way too much competition.
For the NSW Blues, the one game wonder was often a scapegoat; Queensland did show a lot more loyalty in general. How else can you explain Dane Carlaw playing 13 times for the Maroons?
And interestingly there have only been 24 Queensland Origin one game wonders, compared with 52 for the Blues. More than double.
A consequence of the smaller pool of one game wonders for Queensland means our favourite Queensland Origin one game wonder was harder to select, but we still did. And enjoyed it.
All stats are from the world’s greatest rugby league player stats website – the Rugby League Project.
Queensland Origin One Game Wonders
Arthur Beetson – 1980
We opened up the NSW edition of one game wonders with Tommy Raudonikis, so Arthur Beetson had to be the first selected and greatest one game wonder in State of Origin history.
Famously picked from Parramatta’s reserve grade for the only Origin game in his career, big Artie got to lead his state onto Lang Park with an accompanying deafening roar.
Queensland won that first game 20-10, often said as the most important result for State of Origin, to justify the new series.
Big Artie was also involved in one of the big biffs on the night, where team allegiances mattered little as he duked it out with his Eels team mate.
He went on to coach the Maroons 16 times in two stints (1981 to 1984 and 1989 to 1990) where he won five of the six series and 11 of the 16 games. Just to cement his legendary status for Queensland. If that was in question.
The Player of the Series medal is named after the big fella, so hard to go past for Origin’s biggest one game wonder.
ADRIAN VOWLES – 1994
The former Gold Coast and North Queensland player Adrian Vowles is the only Queensland one game wonder to play for Scotland. so an obscure fact to start with. He was also the only player likely to have represented Scotland in any sport to have been born in Charleville.
Another interesting fact, Adrian Vowles actually played more games in the UK Super League than in Australia.. 192 Games for mostly Warrington,
Vowles played for the Gold Coast Seagulls and North Queesland, and it was during his second season with the Seagulls when he was picked for the bench in game two of the 1994 State of Origin series. Few few players outside of the 1995 series were picked from the Gold Coast.
Although Vowles only got to play one game, it was some occasion. For Game Two of the 1994 Origin series was played at the MCG in front of 87,161 fans. Not that the result was memorable, as the Maroons went down 14-0.
He lost his place on the bench as Steve Renouf returned and Jason Smith was added for Game Three, neither addition was able to stop the Blues taking the series 2-1.
After a few seasons in Townsville, he left for the UK, and on his return to Australia played in the Queensland Cup for both Toowoomba and Burleigh. He played over 300 games including the Queensland Cup, but can still claim his one game wonder status for Queensland.
ALAN CANN – 1996
Alan Cann was a two try hero for the Brisbane Broncos in their maiden NSWRL premiership in 1992, the bustling runs that led to tries an iconic image for many a Broncos fan.
Cann, was a hard charging back rower, and a vital part of a Broncos side that made up a large portion of the Queensland sides back in the 1990’s, so you’d wonder why he took so long to get a game in full maroon. Well, the 1995 Super League exclusion and having Queenlsand heroes Billy Moore, Gary Larsen, and Trevor “The Axe” Gillmeister ahead of you doesn’t help.
Cann was on the bench for Game 1 of the 1996 State of Origin series, but was replaced on the bench by the versatile and underrated Jason Smith for games two and three as he was replaced as starting five-eighth Julian O’Neill. It saved Cann some heartache as Queensland lost all three games in that series, and the team as a whole scored just four tries in three games.
The second rower was cut from the Broncos roster at the end of the 96 season, and a move to Adelaide didn’t help his chances of playing more origins.
OWEN CUNNINGNHAM – 1996
A technicality here, as Owen Cunningham played three Super League state clashes in 1997, but we aren’t counting them for this purpose.
And another one game wonder for Queensland from the 1996 State of Origin series, both of whom (refer Alan Cann above) you could be forgiven for forgetting they ever played Origin.
Owen Cunningham was a solid first grader for Manly for nearly a decade, but when Super League came calling, he signed up, despite still playing for ARL aligned Manly-Warringah. That Super League move probably cost him more origin appearances, as the Queensland starting hooker for the 1995 ARL aligned players only season was Wayne Bartrim, and he would have had him covered on the form at the time, and possibly Steve Walters by then too. As he was starting hooker for the Queensland super league side.
As it was Bartrim was the starting hooker for Game 1 of the 1996 Origin series, and he was replaced by Steve Walters for game two and three. Cunningham came into the side for game three as a bench player, well before the number 14 back up hooker had become standard NRL issue.
Queensland lost the game 15-14, and Cunningham never played for Queensland again, despite playing for Manly and the Northern Eagle until 2000.
NATHAN FIEN – 2001
Nathan Fien is in the very select group of Queenslander to play just one game for their state and over 20 games for New Zealand. Not that Fien is alone for playing for Queensland and another country, lord knows the maroons are guilty of that on a few occasions – Tonie Carroll, Adrian Lam.
Fien’s grandmother was the reason for him donning the Kiwi jersey, but in fact it was his a great-grandmother, which caused an issue at the time for eligibility. Eventually he could play for NZ based on residency and he had a good international career that wouldn’t have happened if he hung on for green and gold.
The one off State of Origin appearance came in 2001 from the bench, part of the 2001 Wayne Bennett led Queensland revival, as the maroons looked to pull up their pants from the nightmare 2000 series. Fien played game two off the bench, sandwiched in that position by fellow Cowboy at the time John Doyle, who played games one and three.
Fien missed out on the legendary third game at QEII Stadium when Allan Langer returned. He was around only for the 26-8 loss to the Blues which set up the series decider, which was stolen by Langer’s hit and run mission from the UK.
SCOTT SATTLER – 2003
If you’re known more for one of the greatest try saving tackles in any rugby league decider than just one game for the Queensland State of Origin team, it is still a decent rugby league career. Not to mention his outstanding work on the local Intrust Super Cup, where sadly he doesn’t get noticed for the national broadcasting to their detriment. Not that Channel Nein care in general about quality of broadcast.
Sattler played in game two of the 2003 series, and replaced Paul Bowman from game one, but lost his place on the bench thanks to Cameron Smith. Smith’s first game pushed game two hooker Michael Crocker onto the bench at the then Penrith player’s expense.
The only game wasn’t much for Sattler, as Queensland were well beaten 27-4, and the win for the Blues gave them the series. Not a great night for the one off Origin clash, but his time was to come a few months later.
He is the only Queensland one game wonder who was born in NSW, but his early childhood move to Queensland was enough to qualify him for the Queensland origin side. More than a few other more controversial cross state recruits.
ETHAN LOWE – 2019
We have tried to steer away from too many current players on one game, but we’re not sure if Lowe will ever get another go, given how low on stocks they were leading into game three in 2019.
Although, as one of Queensland’s best in his only game, he should add to his appearance tally. But for now, he is a one game wonder.
The interesting point for Ethan Lowe here is that he is the only point scorer of the Queensland Origin one game wonders.
It helps being a goal kicker.
Queensland Origin One Game Wonders Full List
| Player ↓ | Position(s) | T | G |
| ASTILL, Bruce | Bench | – | – |
| BALLIN, Matt | Hooker | – | – |
| BEETSON, Arthur | Front Row | – | – |
| BUTLER, Terry | Wing | – | – |
| CANN, Alan | Bench | – | – |
| CUNNINGHAM, Owen | Bench | – | – |
| FIEN, Nathan | Bench | – | – |
| HOLBEN, Greg | Bench | – | – |
| KAUFUSI, Antonio | Bench | – | – |
| LANG, John | Hooker | – | – |
| LOWE, Ethan | Second Row | – | 4 |
| NORMAN, Corey | Five-Eighth | – | – |
| NUTLEY, Danny | Front Row | – | – |
| OLIPHANT, Greg | Halfback | – | – |
| QUINN, Graham | Centre | – | – |
| REDDY, Rod | Second Row | – | – |
| SATTLER, Scott | Bench | – | – |
| SMITH, Alan | Five-Eighth | – | – |
| SMITH, Gary | Bench | – | – |
| STAGG, David | Second Row | – | – |
| TRONC, Scott | Bench | – | – |
| VOWLES, Adrian | Bench | – | – |
| WALKER, Bruce | Second Row | – | – |
| WELCH, Christian | Bench | – | – |
