Queensland ended NSW’s three-year reign via an iconic 16-14 victory in the 2006 decider, after Johnathan Thurston set up a stunning long-range try for Brent Tate and Darren Lockyer swooped on a wayward pass from Blues fullback Brett Hodgson in the latter stages.
‘JT’ and ‘Locky’ were the chief architects in subsequently guiding an eye-watering array of generational Maroons talent to an unprecedented streak of eight series wins. But a clutch of unheralded heroes played their part in the tide-turning triumph in Melbourne.
Debutants Greg Inglis and Steve Bell scored Queensland’s tries in the series-opening 17-16 loss in Sydney, while another newcomer, Karmichael Hunt, and the recalled Justin Hodges starred in an emphatic 30-6 game two victory at home.
The unlikely headliner of the latter match, however, was shock wing selection Adam Mogg. The Canberra three-quarter scored a memorable second-half double in one of the great Origin debut fairytales.
But with Inglis, Bell, Hodges, Hunt and Matt Bowen all unavailable through injury, and Billy Slater suspended, the Queensland selectors had to improvise further for the decider.
Raiders fullback Clinton Schifcofske – whose sole Origin appearance was on the wing in a heavy series-opening defeat in 2002 – earned the No.1 nod. Cowboys stalwart Josh Hannay was chosen to fill the breach at centre, having been ignored since debuting in the 2003 dead rubber. Penrith’s Rhys Wesser, the Maroons’ custodian in 2004, got a call-up on the wing…despite never having played there at NRL level.
“Sometimes you give up, but I suppose a week’s a long time in rugby league so four years is even longer,” Schifcofske quipped after his recall.
Mogg opened the scoring at the Telstra Dome with a freakish 10th-minute effort, latching onto Thurston’s kick and planting the pill centimetres inside the touch in-goal line while airborne.
“There was a bit of luck to it to be honest,” Mogg reflected in 2020.
“I predominantly had a right-hand carry … I only scored two tries in my whole career with my left hand and that was one of them. It was a real instinct thing. It was one of those plays where you just go, ‘wow’.”
Mogg’s opposite, Eric Grothe Jr, snagged a 90-metre intercept try for a 4-all halftime scoreline. NSW then surged to a 14-4 lead via a Matt King four-pointer and – after a video referee howler – Grothe’s second.
With 10 minutes left and Queensland staring down the barrel of a record fourth consecutive series defeat, Schifcofske’s offload started the 80-metre movement that resulted in Tate’s pivotal try and coolly slotted the go-ahead conversion of Lockyer’s leveller.
Mogg went desperately close to snatching another try with two minutes left, but it mattered little as the Maroons closed out a euphoric win. Hannay and Wesser had done everything asked of them in daunting individual match-ups with King and Timana Tahu.
“I was very lucky to be involved in a series that will go down in folklore,” instant cult hero Mogg added.
None of the back-up quartet represented again.
Mogg joined Catalans at the end of the year (he returned for a Raiders farewell season in 2010); Schifcofske announced a rugby union switch just weeks later; Hannay joined Cronulla for a brief stint in 2007 before finishing his career with Super League outfit Celtic Crusaders (as did Schifcofske); and Wesser retired in 2011 after three seasons at Souths.
The illustrious likes of Tate, Inglis, Hodges, Hunt, Billy Slater, Darius Boyd, Israel Folau and Wille Tonga would help spearhead the Maroons’ run of eight straight series victories – but the unheralded backs from the ’06 decider hold a cherished place in the greatest Origin dynasty.
