This article has been transcribed without permission from The Manly Daily, Wednesday, 10th May, 1995, page 40.
Manly-Warringah's State of Origin representatives have rejected outright suggestions that the interstate series will be a farce without the Super League players.
Five Sea Eagles have been selected for the series - Craig Hancock, Terry Hill, Mark Carroll and Steve Menzies for NSW, and Danny Moore for the Maroons. Their Sea Eagles colleague Ian Roberts, who would have been close to an automatic selection for the Blues, missed out when selectors chose to overlook those with Super League ties.
NSW wing debutant Craig Hancock said spectators would get no less a State of Origin series without the Super League stars. ``It doesn't worry me what people are saying,'' Hancock said. ``People like me have got their chance and when we get out there it will be just as hard as any other State of Origin series. No-one is irreplaceable in anything. They are only names that were left out. There's not that much between those (Super League) players and everybody else.''
Centre Terry Hill said he got a taste of what to expect against the Maroons when the City v Country game was played without the rebel league stars. ``There was no way I went into that game thinking it was going to be easy,'' Hill said. ``It was a really, really hard physical match and that's exactly how the State of Origin will be. New players are always coming along. There's always going to be someone else that steps in when players aren't available or retire from the game - and that's what is happening now. I'm not trying to be disrespectful to those (Super League) guys, but we're here now and that's thw way it is.
Queensland coach, former premiership-winning Manly skipper Paul Vautin, said his team would function on pride and guts - qualities Hill believes the Maroons won't find hard to muster at the Sydney Football Stadium on Monday night. ``I played with Datty at Easts and I know what he's all about,'' Hill said. ``Fatty played on pride and tradition and that's what he'll be putting into his players. It's going to be a really hard series.''
NSW: Tim Brasher, Rod Wishart, Terry Hill, Paul McGregor, Craig Hancock, Matthew Johns, Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler (c), Steve Menzies, Brad Mackay, Mark Carroll, Jim Serdaris, Paul Harragon. Reserves: Matt Seers, Greg Florimo, David Fairleigh, Adam Muir.
QLD: Robbie O'Davis, Brett Dallas, Danny Moore, Mark Coyne, Matt Sing, Dale Shearer, Adrian Lam, Billy Moore, Trevor GIllmeister (c), Gary Larson, Gavin Allen, Wayne Bartrim, Tony Hearn. Reserves: Mark Hohn, Terry Cook, Craig Teevan, Ben Ikin.
Back to the Sea Eagles home page.