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State of Origin Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
State of Origin Quizzes, Trivia

State of Origin Trivia

State of Origin Trivia Quizzes

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In 1908, the first NSWRL premiership was contested in Sydney. It launched the breakaway game of Rugby League which, despite being written off as being over before it began, went on to become Australia's most revered and for a time, most popular winter sport. Queensland has always gone toe to toe with New South Wales, and they launched their first competition in Brisbane in 1909. But for 70 years, Queensland was treated like a second class citizen, and the only attention New South Wales gave was to poach their players and worse, make them play for New South Wales. It was a hiding to nothing for Queensland. Year in, year out they were on the end of the most humiliating thrashings in Australian sport. But State of Origin changed all that. In 1980, the new format came in where players played for the state they originated from and not their state of residence. Suddenly Queensland became the dominant state, winning a massive majority of the State of Origin contests of the 1980s.
5 quizzes and 50 trivia questions.
1.
  State of Origin 2004    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How much do you know about the dramatic Origin series of 2004? Origin is rugby league at its best.
Average, 10 Qns, Fi B, Jul 09 04
Average
Fi B
1468 plays
2.
  State Of Origin Series: 2009    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Test your knowledge about the NSW vs Qld Rugby League State Of Origin series from 2009. Should be easy if you are a fan.
Tough, 10 Qns, Good1Girl, Jul 27 09
Tough
Good1Girl
391 plays
3.
  State vs State, Mate vs Mate    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The State of Origin series is the biggest event on the National Rugby League football calender, even bigger than the Grand Final.
Difficult, 10 Qns, minardifan, Jul 29 04
Difficult
minardifan
1621 plays
4.
  Early Days of Rugby League    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"State against State", "Mate against Mate" began purely as NSW v Queensland - becoming "State of Origin" in 1980. How much do you know about the early days of the Cane Toads v the Cockroaches?
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, Engadine, Jul 28 09
Very Difficult
Engadine
605 plays
5.
  State of Origin 1980-2001    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A simple quiz on the greatest challenge of all, the State of Origin between New South Wales and Queensland. This quiz covers the annual series from its inception in 1980, through to the 2001 series.
Difficult, 10 Qns, sackwhack, Jul 19 06
Difficult
sackwhack
1420 plays

State of Origin Trivia Questions
1. In 1908, the inaugural year of Rugby League in Australia, NSW beat Queensland by what scoreline?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: 43 - 0

At the Agricultural Ground (Sydney), NSW piled on an unanswered 43 points in the first match, followed by a 37-8 drubbing in the second match and, finally, Queensland showed some spark, holding NSW to only a 12-3 win in the final match of the series.

2. The final game of the 2001 series was the 63rd meeting between New South Wales and Queensland. Which state had won the most State of Origin games?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: Queensland & Q

Queensland held a two game advantage over New South Wales, 32 games to 30, with one game drawn.

3. In 1911, NSW beat Queensland in the first match by 65-9. Dally Messenger had a pointscoring blitz with four tries and ten goals. How many points did he score on his own?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: 32

Tries were worth three points in 1911 and the value was only changed to four points in 1983.

4. Queensland established a record in 1989 when they won the 1st game by a margin of 30 points (36-6). This record was broken in 2000 when the winning margin in the 3rd game was ____ points?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: 40 points

NSW defeated Queensland by 40 points in the final game of the 2000 series, 56-16. It was a truly brilliant display by the Blues as they made mincemeat of their hapless opponents!

5. In May 1922 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Queensland achieved a "first" in NSW v Queensland history. What was it?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: They beat NSW

In 1922, Queensland beat NSW, 25-9 in the only interstate match played, something they had failed to do in the previous 14 years.

6. NSW won the 2000 series in a clean sweep. This was the _______ occasion that the series had been won (by either NSW or Queensland) in a clean sweep of all 3 games (ignore the 1980 and 1981 series when only one game was played)?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: 6th

6 series have ended in clean sweeps for a side, and like many other records, Queensland and NSW have both won 3 each. Queensland clean swept in 1988, 1989 and 1995 (in the biggest upset ever) while NSW clean swept in 1986, 1996 and 2000.

7. There were no interstate Rugby League matches played in 1909 but in 1910 NSW won all three matches against Queensland. Where were the three matches played?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: Brisbane Cricket Ground

NSW won the three matches 40-21, 32-18 and 19-3.

8. The 3rd game of the 2001 series was played at ANZ Stadium (it was the 63rd Origin game). Which ground had hosted the most State of Origin games from 1980 to 2001?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: Lang Park

Lang Park, the spiritual home of Queensland State of Origin, had hosted the event 33 times including the first four games from 1980-82. The SCG hosted 6 games, the SFS 14 games while Stadium Australia is now the home for NSW games, and had hosted 4 games.

9. In 1925, five interstate matches were played, how many did Queensland win?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: 4

Queensland won four of the five matches played, two in Brisbane and two out of the three played in Sydney.

10. Queensland won the first ever State of Origin game in 1980. What was the scoreline?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: 20 to 10

Queensland 20 (Kerry Boustead and Chris Close {tries;} Mal Meninga 7 goals) defeated NSW 10 (Greg Brentnall and Tommy Raudonikis {tries;} Mick Cronin 2 goals). A crowd of 33,000 Queenslanders watched the game at Lang Park, assuring the success of the Origin series.

11. In 1926, what was unusual about the third match of the five match series played?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: It was played in Newcastle

The match was played at the Newcastle Sports Oval and was won by Queensland, 26-11. Interstate matches did not return to Newcastle (at the Newcastle Sports Ground) until the late 60s.

12. In what year did NSW and Queensland play a 4th exhibition game in the United States?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: 1987 & 87

To try and expand the game overseas, the ARL decided to play a 4th exhibition game in the USA (Queensland had won the series 2-1). Despite Americans being astounded that we play the game without helmets and much padding, the crowd itself was disappointing, with only around 13,000 curious spectators turning up. NSW won the game 30-18, played at Long Beach.

13. In 1912, one player amassed 60 points in two interstate games. Who was he?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: Harold Horder

Harold Horder, known as the "Wonder Winger", scored five tries and kicked eight goals in one match and added a further five tries and seven goals in the following match. He was a Souths junior and played for the Rabbitohs for seven seasons, followed by a stint at North Sydney, returning to South Sydney for one season in 1924.

14. Who captained NSW to their 2-1 series victory over Queensland in 1990?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: Benny Elias

Benny Elias was picked as captain for the NSW team in 1990, and led by example, producing a man of the match effort in the first game (the first time a team was held scoreless as NSW won 8-0). Stuart, the best halfback of the early 90s, was man of the match in the second game.

15. In Game 1 of the 1999 series the teams were separated by one point at full time. This was the _______ occasion the sides been separated by only one point at full time?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: 5th

5 games have ended in victories for by only one points: Game 2 in 1992 which Queensland won {5-4;} Game 3 in 1996 which NSW won {15-14), Game 2 in 1997 which NSW won {15-14), Game 1 in 1998 which Queensland won 24-23 and Game 1 in 1999 which Queensland won 9-8.

16. How many times have Queensland recorded a nil score against NSW in the interstate series (pre 1980 State of Origin)?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: 9

To be fair, NSW did lose twice to Queensland with a nil score in the interstate series. Firstly, in 1926, in Brisbane, in the fourth match out of five played and thirty-four years later, in 1960!

17. The first game in the 2001 series, at Lang Park, was the 33rd meeting at this venue. How many times did New South Wales manage to win a game at lang Park?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: 12

NSW won 12 games in 33 attempts at Lang Park. Only twice have they managed to win a series while having two games in Queensland - in 1986 and 1996. From Game 2 in 1987 to Game 1 in 1993 NSW did not win a game in Queensland.

18. Most tries in a match in the interstate series, a record that was still standing in post 1980 State of Orgin, through to the end of the 20th century, were scored by Sid Goodwin in 1939. How many tries did he score?

From Quiz Early Days of Rugby League

Answer: 6

Sid Goodwin, who played for Balmain and was their captain in their Grand Final win over Souths in 1939, scored six tries. He later played for Newtown.

19. When did the first drawn State of Origin series occur?

From Quiz State vs State, Mate vs Mate

Answer: 1999

The 3rd and deciding match in the 1999 series finished in a 10-10 draw and, as the Origin winner in 1998, Queensland retained the State of Origin shield. Queensland had won the first game 9-8, and NSW the second 12-8.

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