Even This Full Blooded Queenslander Has To Admit He Was Jealous Of Those 1997 NSW Blues Trackies

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

One the eve of the first match of the 2025 State Of Origin, the biggest rivalry in Australian sport is once again firing up.

For the next month and a half, New South Wales and Queensland are sworn enemies, as the two states go head to head in three matches of high octane rugby league.

In Queensland, the animosity towards the NSW Blues is driven by a historic perception of elitism and snobbery that exists south of the Tweed River. The Maroons supporters feel that the southerners view them as an inferior state of backward hicks. This disdain is only magnified by the fact that the vast majority of Queensland rugby league stars end up playing out their careers for Sydney-based NRL clubs.

In NSW, the rivalry towards to Queensland is driven by the perception that Queenslanders have a chip on their shoulders, and carry a misplaced sense of underdog status.

With the media stoking the fire in the lead up to tomorrow night’s match, both players and coaches from both sides are being given the platform to bait the opposition with provocative quotes and gestures.

However, even in the midst of the eye-twitching antagonism that fuels this fued, sometimes the fans just have to concede when they’ve been bested.

For the Blues fans, enough time has passed to admit that the 2006-2013 Queensland Maroons side was one of the best sides in the history of Australian sport – and their eight-in-a-row streak of Origins victories were undeniably deserved.

Similarly, Queenslanders have to reluctantly agree that the NSW Blues have often outperformed the Maroons when it comes to style.

Yeppoon-based fishing charter operator, Ross Lyn (45) says if he was ordered to pay one compliment to the NSW side with a gun to his head, he would have to admit that the 1997 Blues tracksuit was the pinnacle of Australian sportswear.

“Maybe it was just the way Tommy Raudonikis wore it” he says.

“But the navy and sky blue just pops with the pre-millennial polyester design. I’ll pay that”

“Queensland has always been about coating our players in the one colour, and letting their football do the talking. But if we are awarding points on style, then New South Wales wins 1997 in a white wash”

As Ross points out, the NSW Blues have always delivered interesting characters, whereas the Queenslander squads just blend into one all-dominant organism.

“Sure, we’ve had some good lookers, and some rather impressive body art over the years”

“But I just don’t know if any Queenslanders could pull off the amber aviators and male jewellery like Tommy could.”

“He looked like a Las Vegas hitman. I think the key difference is that Queensland doesn’t have any Westies”