July 8, 1980: The night Artie's Maroons changed footy forever

As the 2022 Ampol State of Origin series heads towards its epic conclusion at Suncorp Stadium, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on the first ever Origin match played on the same sacred site 42 years ago today.

July 8, 1980 goes down as one of the most significant dates in the game's history - the day interstate football changed forever and the battle lines were drawn for a rivalry that has captivated us across four decades and 125 matches.

With interest in the annual NSW vs Queensland series at an all-time low, QRL president Ron McAuliffe and NSWRL chairman Kevin Humphreys hatched a plan to play the third match of the 1980 series under Origin eligibilty rules, with players representing the state of their birth rather than the state they were currently playing in.

Given that a paltry 1638 fans had turned up at Leichhardt Oval to see NSW beat Queensland on May 27, the concept seemed well worth a punt.

And so it was that curious league fans tuned in to watch that first ever match at Lang Park to see what this State of Origin caper was all about.

To see whether Big Artie could turn back the Blue tide and avenge years of Maroon misery.

Or would Tom Terrific and the pride of NSW carry on a dominance that had seen the men from south of the border win 52 of the previous 60 interstate clashes?

With 33,210 fans packed into Lang Park, the atmosphere was electric and the expectation palpable as Raudonikis' Blues entered a cauldron like no other.

Suddenly Queenslanders were wearing the right jersey and fighting for the right cause and they had the right man to lead them into battle in Beetson. He may have been 35 and past his prime but God help anyone who got in his way. 

Among those following Beetson into battle that night was a 21-year-old Chris Close, who would go on to play nine Origins and redefine the word passion when it came to representing your state.

"Origin was desperately needed and you have to take your hat off to McAuliffe and Humphreys for having the presence of mind to recognise that," said Close in '110 Years of Rugby League: The History, The Heroes, The Heart'.

"It was a huge step and they must have been shaking in their boots to make such a bold move and then sell it to the doubters.

"I was lucky enough to have my bag beside Arthur's in the dressing room and I'll never forget the moment he put the war paint on and I looked at him and thought, 'this is a war, this isn't a normal part of your life'.

"He smothered his face in Vaseline and he had resin all over his jersey and arms - it was probably bloody poison - but his focus was clear. He wasn't a yeller or screamer and we didn't need to be told anyway. We knew this moment would define all of us.

"I often live that moment when I need to galvanise myself - we did it then so why can't we do it now? That was a valuable lesson in my life to know that regardless of the task and the adversity you face, there is always a way through it.

"If you can gather your energy and muster it all like Artie showed us that night, then there's nothing that can beat us."

History shows that tries to Close and Innisfail-born flyer Kerry Boustead and seven goals from the trusty boot of Mal Meninga on his 20th birthday, carried Queensland to a 20-10 victory as the Origin legend was born.

Beetson's Origin career would begin and end on that historic night but the hell he raised and the message he sent took his legend status to a whole new level.

The most wondrous of one-game wonders, Beetson would turn his hand to coaching the following year, and lead Queensland to three straight series wins from 1982-84 and another in 1989.

So, too, his little mate Tommy, whose influence as a Blues mentor, motivator and one-man publicity machine lasted from that first game right through until his passing in 2021.

As Blues legend Steve Roach so eloquently puts it: "If it wasn't for Artie and Tommy going at it like they did in the first game, Origin wouldn't be like it is now. They set the tone."

And for that, the game is forever grateful.