Queenslander!

Has it really been thirty years since the first State of Origin game? Thirty years since Artie Beetson led the Maroons onto Lang Park and thumped his Parramatta team-mate Mick Cronin?Since that first game on July 8, 1980, Origin has proven itself to be one of the most eagerly anticipated, fiercely contested and passionately debated fixtures on the Australian sporting calendar.To mark thirty years of Origin, Brisbane sportswriter Mike Colman has produced Queenslander!-a blatantly Maroon-biased celebration of the men, matches and moments. It's the story of a humble, one-off game played in front of 33,000 which evolved into the greatest and most enduring rugby league institution the world has seen, thrilling millions along the way.Queenslander! is an enthralling scrapbook of the drama of Origin - the highlights and lowlights; greatest tries and tackles; controversies and shock selection - all through the eyes of the people who were actually involved. There are profiles of the most influential Maroons and in-depth recreations of key matches and series.
As well, notable Queenslanders from former premier Peter Beattie to sportsmen, Matt Hayden, John Eales and Kieren Perkins recount their greatest Origin memories.From Brisbane to Bundaberg and out Blackbutt way Queenslander! will be a slice of Maroon heaven for all those who three times a year stick out their chests with pride and scream, 'Queenslanderrrr.'.