The rivalry that almost never happened in 1984
In short: Before it was a televised curtain-raiser, the NRL State Championship was a proposed clash of champions that faced an unexpected roadblock. In 1984, Queensland media dreamed of a showdown between Brisbane and Sydney's best teams, but the match never took place—at least not then.
The roots of the NRL State Championship date back to the 1984 Brisbane Rugby League season. At the time, the Sydney and Brisbane competitions operated independently, only intersecting during 'State of Origin' fixtures. Queensland media suggested a one-off challenge match between the Brisbane Premiers, Wynnum-Manly Seagulls, and the Sydney Premiers, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. While some supporters argued that the 1984 Brisbane side was a formidable peer to the Sydney champions, the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) hierarchy intervened to block the proposal.
Interestingly, the opposition wasn't solely responsible for the cancellation. Peter Tunks, a prop for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at the time, recalled that his team and officials were actually eager to play the match. Despite acknowledging that they viewed the Sydney competition as the 'be-all and end-all,' the Bulldogs players welcomed the chance to test themselves against high-caliber opponents like Wally, Gene Miles, and Greg Dowling.
The championship finally materialized in 2014, establishing a tradition where the premiers of the New South Wales Cup and Queensland Cup face off as a curtain-raiser for the NRL Grand Final. While marketed as a battle between the best clubs of each state, the competition features unique geographical outliers: teams from Canberra, Melbourne, Auckland, Tweed Heads, and even Port Moresby compete within these respective state tiers.
Since its inception in 2014, the match has been an annual fixture except for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It serves as a high-stakes determination of the National Reserve Grade Champions, providing live television coverage across Australia's major networks.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: NRL State Championship
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