Aside from perhaps the NRL grand final, there’s no bigger stage than a State of Origin decider. It’s a pressure-cooker arena where players’ legacies are cemented, while others crumble.
Rugby league’s greatest players, as well as young guns and unlikely heroes, have stood tallest to help deliver the Origin shield to their state in game three.
Ahead of Wednesday’s colossal clash between Queensland and New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium – where the likes of Sam Walker, Nathan Cleary, Kalyn Ponga and James Tedesco are among the top best on ground contenders – we’re highlighting every man of the match from an Origin decider.
1982 – Wally Lewis (Queensland)
A 22-year-old Lewis won the first of a record eight Origin man of the match awards in the inaugural decider, laying a foundation for Queensland’s 10-5 win in a dour contest with his outstanding kicking game.
One raking kick in the second half led to the infamous in-goal mix-up between NSW duo Phil Sigsworth and Phil Duke, with saw Maroons skipper Lewis pounce for the winning try.
1983 – Wally Lewis (Queensland)
Man of the match again in the 1983 series opener, Lewis was adjudged best on ground in a second straight game three decider. Lewis was the scheming architect of Queensland’s seven-try, 43-22 thumping, while he landed Origin’s maiden field goal in the first half.
1987 – Allan Langer (Queensland)
Rocketing to stardom after a sensational performance on debut in Queensland’s last-gasp loss in the 1987 series opener, pint-sized halfback Langer cemented his status as Lewis’ likely heir apparent by winning the man of the match award in an epic decider.
‘Alfie’ handled twice in a set play that produced the opening try and his creativity and darting runs frequently tested the Blues in the Maroons’ 10-8 triumph, regaining Origin supremacy for the first time since 1984.
1991 – Martin Bella (Queensland)
Already an unlikely man of the match in such an epic, free-flowing contest marked by memorable tries, burly prop Bella was named best on ground in Queensland’s 14-12 eclipse of NSW in the 1991 decider despite being sin-binned during the second half for dissent against referee Bill Harrigan.
Bella laid an outstanding platform up against tough Blues props Steve Roach and David Gillespie, subsequently regaining his Australian Test spot.
1992 – Ricky Stuart (NSW)
Stuart battled injury early in the 1992 season and missed the first Origin clash. But he returned for the 5-4 game two loss at Lang Park and was named man-of-the-match in the comprehensive 16-4 decider victory, directing play beautifully and throwing a pair dummies to stroll through for the opening try.
The win was NSW’s first in an Origin decider and the second of four series victories Stuart would enjoy opposite Langer in five seasons.
1994 – Ben Elias (NSW)
Most of the focus was on retiring Queensland legend Mal Meninga ahead of the 1994 decider in Brisbane, but it was a NSW great also bowing out of the Origin arena that stole the on-field show.
Veteran hooker Elias snaffled an intercept to put Bradley Clyde away for the opening try and kicked two field goals in the 27-12 victory – the Blues’ first in a decider north of the border.
1998 – Shane Webcke (Queensland)
Playing in his first Origin series, Webcke’s 33 tackles and barnstorming line break among 15 runs for 143 metres garnered man-of-the-match honours following Queensland’s emphatic 19-4 victory in the 1998 decider at the SFS.
The champion Broncos front-rower would go on to make 21 consecutive appearances for the Maroons.
1999 – Wendell Sailor (Queensland)
The 1999 decider was played in atrocious weather at Suncorp Stadium and quickly developed into a tight slog not suited to outstanding wing-play.
But Sailor was superb, producing a string of powerful runs out of his own territory to nudge 200 metres, and defusing several dicey situations with superb hands that belied the conditions as the Maroons retained the Origin shield with a 10-all draw.
2001 – Darren Lockyer (Queensland)
Returning halfback legend Allan Langer was the sentimental hero of the euphoric 40-14 triumph in game three, but stand-in captain Lockyer was adjudged man-of-the-match for a spellbinding display from fullback.
Lockyer scored a brilliant try in each half and laid on two others, while he kicked four goals for a Maroons record-equalling 16-point haul. He later claimed the Dally M Representative Player of the Year gong.
2002 – Allan Langer (Queensland)
Langer returned to the Broncos in the wake of his incredible 2001 comeback for the Maroons and became Origin’s oldest ever player and broke the record for the most Origin appearances in playing all three games of the 2002 series.
The 35-year-old farewelled the arena with man of the match honours after an unforgettable 18-all draw in Sydney saw the Shield stay in Queensland.
Langer a hand in the first try, produced outstanding final passes for Queensland’s next two four-pointers, while his majestic kick to the in-goal in the second half led to a Darren Lockyer try that was farcically disallowed by the video referee.
NSW took a late 18-14 lead, but the little maestro had one last piece of magic left to thwart the Blues, sweeping the ball out for Carlaw to storm 40 metres for a score-levelling try in the dying seconds.
2004 – Craig Fitzgibbon (NSW)
Among several standout NSW performers in a 36-14 mismatch in the 2004 decider, Fitzgibbon landed five goals (including a sideline conversion that went through after hitting the crossbar) and predictably making a game-high 42 tackles in the second-row in a man of the match display.
The Roosters ironman was also honoured with the Wally Lewis Medal as the official player of the series and was later named Dally M Representative Player of the Year.
2005 – Anthony Minichiello (NSW)
As he was in game two, Andrew Johns was the chief orchestrator of NSW’s rampant 32-10 win at Suncorp Stadium in the 2005 decider.
But Minichiello claimed man of the match honours and the Wally Lewis Medal after a mighty performance at fullback. The Roosters custodian made a long break in the early stages to swing the momentum, produced a try assist and ran for over 200 metres.
2006 – Brent Tate (Queensland)
Darren Lockyer swooped to score the winning try and start a Queensland dynasty, but the 16-14 victory in the Melbourne-hosted 2006 decider would not have been possible without Tate’s sizzling 60-metre try five minutes earlier after backing up a Jonathan Thurston break.
A noted big-game player, Broncos centre Tate was outstanding throughout the dramatic clash. He went on to tally 23 Origin appearances despite suffering a slew of injury setbacks during his career.
2008 – Israel Folau (Queensland)
Folau became the youngest player to win an Origin man of the match award in the 2008 decider, helping Queensland to a 16-10 victory in Sydney with a spectacular first half double.
The Melbourne winger’s second ranks among the great Origin tries, marking a Johnathan Thurston bomb and planting it while mid-air and upside down. Folau scored seven tries in eight Origin matches before making a shock AFL switch.
2011 – Cameron Smith (Queensland)
Also man of the match in the series opener, Smith helped send the legend he would succeed as Queensland captain, Darren Lockyer, out a winner in the 2011 decider with another best on ground performance.
The incomparable hooker scored a try, tackled the house down and toyed with the Blues from dummy-half in the 34-24 success at Suncorp Stadium.
2012 – Johnathan Thurston (Queensland)
Making a record-equalling 24th consecutive Origin appearance, Thurston’s virtuoso display in the heart-stopping 2012 decider garnered his fourth man of the match award.
‘JT’ kick-started a passing movement and backed up to score from a Corey Parker offload, made another searing break later in the first half and slotted four goals in the 21-20 victory.
2013 – Brent Tate (Queensland)
The 2013 decider was a triumph for the veteran three-quarter, who racked up 144 metres from 15 runs, including several trademark tackle-breaking runs to drive the Maroons out of their danger zone in a gripping 12-10 victory.
An emotional Tate was named man of the match, becoming just the third player after Origin legends Wally Lewis and Allan Langer to claim the honour in multiple deciders.
2015 – Johnathan Thurston (Queensland)
Thurston joined Lewis, Langer and Tate as two-time decider man of the match award winners, performing the role of chief puppeteer in Queensland’s record-breaking 52-6 rout in the 2015 decider.
The magician in the No.6 had three try assists and five line-break assists, on top of 16 runs for 137 metres and nine goals from as many attempts.
2017 – Cameron Smith (Queensland)
The dummy-half maestro and long-serving skipper became the fifth player to be named man of the match in multiple deciders, leading the way in Queensland’s 22-6 victory in the 2017 decider.
Smith had 113 running metres, produced two line-break assists and reeled off 37 tackles, while he also slotted three goals in what would be his final Origin – joining Ben Elias and Allan Langer as the only players to be named man of the match in their last match in the interstate arena.
2019 – James Tedesco (NSW)
Capped by finishing off the series-winning try in the last minute, Tedesco produced one of the great performances at Origin level by a fullback as NSW got up 26-20.
‘Teddy’ finished with two tries, three line-breaks, 10 tackle-breaks and 20 runs for 230 metres.
2020 – Cameron Munster (Queensland)
Queensland pulled off the unlikeliest series victory since Paul Vautin’s 1995 heroes’ cleansweep, outlasting a comparatively star-studded NSW side 20-14 in the Suncorp Stadium decider of a rubber delayed till the end of the season by COVID.
Munster was at his best, particularly in the first half – taking the game on with Lewis-esque determination, freakish skill and talismanic magic.
2022 – Kalyn Ponga (Queensland)
Ben Hunt’s series-sealing intercept is the rightly the most indelible memory of Queensland’s 22-12 victory in the 2022 decider at Suncorp Stadium, but Ponga was sensational across the 80 minutes.
Ponga scored the go-ahead try with 20 minutes to go, ran for 262 metres on 26 runs – including three line-breaks – and made an outrageous 16 tackle-breaks.
2024 – Dylan Edwards (NSW)
NSW’s third decider victory in Brisbane – a gripping 14-4 classic in game three of the 2024 series – was built on some industrious individual performances, none bigger than Origin rookie fullback Edwards’.
The Penrith custodian unequivocally justified his call-up at the expense of Blues legend James Tedesco at the start of the series, running for 243 metres (80 more than any other player) form 27 carries and producing a number of huge plays at the back.
2025 – Tom Dearden (Queensland)
On the bench in Queensland’s game one loss before being pitched into the No.7 hotseat for game two following incumbent captain Daly Cherry-Evans axing, Dearden sealed a remarkable Wally Lewis Medal success with man of the match honours in the 24-12 decider victory.
The tenacious Cowboys halfback was everywhere, making 19 runs for 171 metres and 27 tackles – as well as a line-break assist – then scored the series-sealing solo try in the 73rd minute.