As a just-turned17-years-old American exchange for a year in Brisbane in 1991, I was actually fortunate enough to be at this match at Lang Park! As someone who would eventually become an absolute rugby league TRAGIC, naturally I absorbed all of it and also appreciated the roster of deadset Maroon LEGENDS on the pitch that night, especially my all-time favorite player, Allan Lager (though my team is NQL and very definitely NOT Brisbane)! IF ONLY!!! Instead of enjoying one of the greatest all-time matches of The Greatest Game, I horsed around the whole night with a mate of mine from high school while his dad actually had the good sense to WATCH the fucking match!! I am not one for regrets, but on the short list of them in my life, you can freely pencil in "Did not appreciate league while living in Queensland during a time of legends" somewhere near the top!! Had I only known then what I subsequently came to learn!!!!! (Then again, Feldt's, Morgo's and JT's heroics to finish the 2015 GF - even though I was watching it alone in Florida - don't leave me feeling terribly regretful about ANYTHING league-related!)
really cool to see someone from such a different sporting landscape appreciate a michael jordan of our game....as an Aussie that watches a lot of NBA and appreciates the talent over the pond
Travelled to Australia on ‘92 Lions supporters group. Had watched many State of Origin series on video and hoped see Wally Lewis play for Gold Coast against the touring team but seem remember injury prevented it happening (there was a rumour he would just put in a 20 mins cameo but nothing came of that). A friend saw him make his debut for Wakefield in the English comp and declared he’d seen the best player ever. My first hand experience remained his Invincibles and Unbeatables Kangaroo tour appearances. Thanks for these docs, good memories of great players at the best times for the sport.
I’m a kiwi and a NSW supporter but got to meet Wally Lewis when touring Suncorp stadium I walked up to him shook his hand in awe and said “love your work mate! Loved to hate you but you truly are the King of Origin in my eyes” now I’m 6’2 and 120kgs and he looked up at me like “WTF” and then laughed and gave me a hug...A true legend on and off the field 👊🏽
Wally is simply the best. Passionate proud Queenslander / Kangaroo. And an honest, clean fair player too. I'm a Kiwi and have the greatest respect for Wally and the Australian Rugby League Players. They are simply the best. Thanks for the great eternal rugby league memories Wally and co. Cheers.
Yes Rick, I agree mate. And I saw him play in person at club, state and International level in person many times..you're spot on. But us true Footy fans also respect your New Zealand players. For a small nation in population, you have outstanding Footy players 👊🏻🙂
I first saw Wally play for Valleys in about 76 or 77, I was a ballboy for the Brothers club in Brisbane. Wally and Strudwick used to be a pain in the ass, but Wally was a class above, even then. I watched him throughout his career and saw many many world class player close up, and as much as NSW hates to admit it, he is the best player to have played the game probably ever. what happened to him in 1990 with being sacked by the Broncos, and fucked over by Arko and Gibbs was pure corruption, vengeance and spite, and history shows they were wrong. Players like Lewis made Origin and League as good as it is today, and I for one, am proud to be a fan.
Yep, I completely agree with you mate. You certainly know your Rugby League. Make sure you subscribe to my channel, as I will have many Footy documentarys uploaded with the new season having commenced. Thanks mate👍🏻🙂
lol you guys north of the tweed are quite funny. lewis was a real good player no doubt but at the same time the single most overrated player of all time. lets deal with some facts - where lewis was supposed to shine brightest at SOO kenny had his measure when paired at 5/8 by a large margin. for reasons best known only to the corrupt nsw officials at the time they kept shuffling kenny to centre to accomodate lesser players. he still shone of course... could lewis handle any other position? nope - lewis held off for years coming down to sydney clearly knowing hed be found out and sure enough when the broncos arrived in the expanded comp with a virtual qld team at his disposal and at the top of his powers in the years qld sweeped 3 series in a row what did they accomplish with lewis at the helm? zip - exit lewis from the broncs and what happens..... they IMMEDIATELY win 2 in a freaking row and begin a culture of domination and success. the toughest test of any player has never been a 3 game series or even tests but the rough and tumble of week to week footy at the highest level and he failed spectacularly. btw kenny won 4 premierships, dominated lewis at SOO, kept him out of the kangaroos tours and dominated England, again something lewis failed to do. now youre trying to tell me lewis was the best ever????????????????????????????????????? hahahahahahaha enjoy your fake news emperor boys lol
And still the greatest series ever! Look at the rivalries between 91-94: Langer v Stuart, Daley v Walters, Clyde v Lindner, Elias v Walters, Shearer v Ettingshausen, Bella v Roach, and then there was the King all by himself
Soccer is the biggest and most powerful sport on Planet Earth. Soccer has over 4 Billion fans and is massive in over 240 countries. Every nation on Earth loves Soccer. Rugby League is only big in 4 countries. Its a minority sport in England, France, Lebanon etc. Soccer will be the most popular sport in Australia by 2050 jcsjbw
I saw Wally Lewis many times . Especially quite close up at Central park, Wigan . Wally was to sign up with Wigan IIRC in the 80's, but Ellery Hanley started creating grief. So Lewis wasn't signed by Wigan. Just how good would Wigan have been then around that time period ?
Well done Danmarsky. He was truly 'The Emperor' who morphed into 'The King'. I spent a bit of time with him through those years and there was not a day literally that he wasn't mentioned in the paper, someone said something about him on the radio or TV. He had people who loved him and a very few who hated him even in Queensland. He was polarising as all great players are and have been. If I was drinking with him socially I and the others there would form a semi-circle around him, with his back to a wall, to keep people away so he could have a bit of relaxation. But it didn't stop people from offering a comment or saying gday. People stared at him riveted to the spot. He used to get embarassed. I drove him to an autograph session at a school once and the adulation had to be seen to be believed. We stopped the car outside the school, he paused, turned to me and said, "Brace yourself. Here we go." He steps out of the car and for the next 2 hours it was bedlam with the kids and adults screaming and laughing as he signed autograph after autorgraph. He made sure everyone got what they wanted, photographs, autographs, a chat...you name it. I had to help drag him back to the car. He's waving and smiling...then he finally gets in the car...lets out a big sigh with a grin and says, "Well, that was fun. Let's get some breakfast somewhere it's quiet," and gives me a look like 'it ain't gonna be quiet'. And it wasn't. It never was. No mater where he went. Remarkable unique footballer...great human.I honestly don't know how he handled it. I feel fortunate to have seen him play firsthand and know(n) him also.
Danny, that is sensational mate! I was riveted reading your recount of spending time with Wally during that amazing time in the 80s. You are so fortunate to have witnessed the phenomenon of 'The King'. I was a Rugby League mad kid in the 80s and Wally regularly play in person at BRL club games at Kougari Oval and Lang Park and many Origins and Tests. Wally was our hero, our saviour after decades of being treated like 2nd class citizens by the NSWRL. Ps. I love your 'Rugby League song's. Iconic mate and my Dad, who played for Brisbane Brothers and Ipswich Brothers in the 70s and 80s used to sing your song around home and loved it. Cheers mate
Wally Lewis was talked about in the sports section of "The Daily Telegraph" every day, even before the Broncos were in the Sydney Comp. He really was massive news. He was like a foreign Aussie. An outsider to the Sydney comp but a Aussie nonetheless who wasn't in the Sydney competition. It made for great copy. All the hype was certainly justified. Just a phenomenal talent.
Thank you so much mate. Please be sure to subscribe to my TH-cam channel and let others know who may like my videos to subscribe...the more support I get the more documentary's I will be able to make like this. Cheers mate 👍🏻🙂
Thanks so much mate. I appreciate it. More docos are on the way and at the end of this year I'll be starting an exclusive Rugby League channel of docos and rare clips and matches. Thanks.
My family went to nearly all games at Lang Park in the 80s & 90s....My Mother 80yrs old now has been involved in league admin for 25-30years and mad footy fanatic, talk footy everytime we speak,...she still to this day declares (and so do I) that Wally was the best ever player ...hands down...1 time, My brother and I watched one of those games Wally won single handedly....then he managed to kick a goal from the sideline, we were directly behind him in line with the kick...my brother turned to me and said and I never forget..`I GUESS THAT MAKES HIM SUPERMAN NOW`..crowd went bananas.lol...
I agree Sir. I also went to the majority of Origins at Lang Park in the 80s and 90s and saw Wally play for Wynumm and Broncs. Best all around Rugby League player of all time...and didn't even hardly train or have a high regard for conditioning. I always say if he were playing now with all the full time training, sport specific conditioning, nutrition, supplements...he would be even better by a large margin...so my feeling is he is the most naturally talented footballer of all time🏉
@@DanmarskyAus agree completely...but i think the training thing was in the family..i played state titles rep touch footy once with Heath his brother..but a.very good player too...
Great film mate I remember growing up in the 80s and 90s and Wally was one of the best. Thanks for the film, brings back the days when footy was footy.
I never had a problem with Graham Lowe coaching Queensland, simply because, if you ask most Kiwis who they back in the SoO, they will always go for Qld. In rugby league, most Kiwis know, like Queenslanders once did, the sting in trying and trying and for years coming up empty.
Yes I agree Faron👍🏻 By the way, did you happen to play for the Burleigh Bears? There was a sensational winger called Faron Anderson in the 2000s for the Bears👌🏻
Danmarsky yes sir that would be me.These guys made me want to play rugby league.The best era in rugby league for me.Thankyou for posting.Great memories. All the best.Cheers!
@@faronanderson2536 I was a big fan of yours and the Bears back in the day. Regularly watched yourself and the boys at Pizzey Park. Thanks for watching the videos mate. I grew up loving these legends of the 80s and 90s too and made this Ipswich kid enjoy the game and be a lifelong fan. Cheers Faron👍🏻🙂
Danmarsky thanks mate, appreciate it!Those were the day's.I'll never forget em'.Good times and great footy! Thanks for keeping these memories alive.Still inspires me to this day.Great to watch.Take care dude!
Everyone wanted to be Wally Lewis he was too Deadly, I was fortunate enough to be at Lang Park for his last game curtain raiser for Murgon High School.
I've seen a lot of great players over the years here in the UK. But Lewis was the best. Brilliant tactician. Could slip the ball two yards or bullet it thirty putting the runner clear into space. In his prime he could explode through the first twenty leaving the defence reeling. Peerless kicking game. He had it all. But what separated him from all the rest was his physical and mental toughness as well as his ability to inspire those around him to greater things. He would routinely target the opposition's most dominant forwards and clobbered them in the tackle (how many stand offs can you realistically say the same about?). This instantly gave his teammates that bit of impetus to see them through the next set of six. He was great. What's more - he knew he was great. Normally that kind of arrogance can get you into trouble. But Lewis could always back it up. Glad I saw him in his prime. Unlike someone like Alex Murphy whose feats are the stuff of legend and yet so little video exists for fans to enjoy. Great series of SOO videos.
Thank you Sir. I completely agree with you and you make a great point about Wally's being the rare number 6 that could target and clobber a key forward in the opposition, this inspiring his teamates. I saw it week after week in the 80s here in Brisbane and in Origins and Tests....such a unique and legendary footballer.
@@DanmarskyAus It's been a pleasure watching your vids, mate. Great to see someone making old footage available for the public. The crazy thing about Lewis was you'd be hard pressed to find many in either team who looked ... well ... so out of shape. I mean, sure - this was a period of semi-professionalism so you don't expect to see the WWE physiques common to players today. But very often Wally entered the field with a bit of a spare tire and even a double chin. And yet he was still lightning quick over the first twenty and wherever a last-ditch tackle needed to be made he was always the guy making it. This begs the obvious question - what would he have been like if he'd had the kind of commitment to training you saw from the likes of Wayne Pearce or Lindner? I was surprised to hear he tailed off after he joined the Broncos. He couldn't have been that old so I'm guessing the lifestyle finally caught up with him?
@@deaddropholiday I saw Lewis at the University of Queensland pool about 86/87. I’d always thought he was a fatty bumbar but he was all muscle. His upper torso muscles even had muscles.
As an Australian Olsen Filipina always worried me during test matches. Always in cruise mode in club games, but put a black and white jersy on him and Olsen turned into the hulk.
I, like a million or more Queenslanders feel blessed to live in a time where we could watch the career of the GOAT of our game and to feel the pain of his being robbed of the accolades, he had earned by the blinked ignorance of desk jockeys. 👑❤
Thanks Johno!! You're welcome mate. Make sure you've subscribed to my channel as I will have plenty of State Of Origin and League documentary's and interviews released this coming season.
1990 was not kind to Wally Lewis but it was I was very disappointed that Wally never toured Great Britain that year but was glad he won back the origin shield 1991.
Very excellent doco brother as a kiwi I’m a Queensland hard all day everyday only reason why is cos when I was a kid watching it in the early 90s NSW was all ways winning the game just hope they bring one game to New Zealand
What names... both for qld and nsw. NSW had a mean pack the whole series; roach, sirro, Roberts, Geyer, cement Gillespie, Craig Salvatore. Qld had their honest toilers, though Martin bella ran riot in game three. Poor Paul hauff. Had a dog of a test match against NZ on debut.. last I heard he went back to being a cop at Inala Civic Center.
Greatest moment for NSW in Origin history when Mark Geyer stuck it to Wally Lewis. Arthur Beetson jobbed Mick Cronin in the first ever Origin in 1980 so this was our revenge.
Another great video mate. Ya can't beat a bit biff!! The game to me doesn't have the characters like it did in the 80s/90s? Or maybe it's me getting old lol. Saw the Aussies on tour in 86 against Halifax and again in 90 v halifax and Great Britain, Never saw Wally play in person . Amazing player built like prop !!
Thanks mate!! Yes, I agree. Sadly the game hardly resembles the game I grew up watching and playing in the 80s and 90s. That's awesome you saw the 86 Kangaroos. Mate, I grew up going to see Wally play on a weekly basis in the Footy season. I was very lucky to see him play at least 10 to 20 times in person per year from 1985 to 1991. Honestly, you had to see it to believe it. An absolute freak of a player.
I feel the same. I reckon it’s age. To young kids these fellas are heroes, just like these guys were for us. In 30 years time they’ll be saying the same as we’re saying now.
Rodger Smith I have the same sentiments.I can't explain it but for me the mid 80's through to the mid 90's were the best years in rugby league for me at all levels (club,state & international ).It seemed more authentic,more genuine! That era captured my heart and imagination.To me these guys were really tough,not gym tough but just physically and mentally tough and naturally fit.It really was a man's game and every player played 80 minutes.They knew the game inside-out and didn't really need to be told how to play or how to win.They just knew.They were real footballers.That era produced some if the best football I have ever seen.It was inspiring and so exciting to watch.They were my heroes,living legends and really played for no other reason but for the love of the game.I do believe most of them still had to hold down jobs like everybody else in the community,not being detached from the community like the players of today are. I truly miss those days.I don't get that same feeling of anticipation before watching games now and I don't watch it as much as I used to anymore either.It's a sad reality!!! I
The best. I love JT and Locky and I can definitely appreciate what Joey, Brad and Laurie etc did in their carers too. I am a biased Queenslander for sure, who grew up watching Wally as a kid...although I was a Balmain Tigers fan in those days....until the merge. But almost all physical contact sporting codes have become a hell of a lot softer and more protective of the players over the years. Some of that is good, but some of that has taken away from what made each sport great. Now, especially in rugby league; you see the athleticism of new players. But would you stand them up against an Ian Roberts, Steve Roach, Les Davidson, Arthur Beetson, Ray Price...or pretty much anyone that played in that time? The first 20 minutes, they'd get absolutely smashed into submission...without the opportunity to interchange at will. The fact that Wally was widely revered as the greatest player ever - both north and south of the border, in a time when the game was not just tough, it was violent....says plenty. I remember that last tour and the crap that went on around it and he was bloody robbed. Wally certainly never helped himself much, but the league bosses hated Wally and he got shafted for sure
1990 definitely was not a kind year to Wally, Firstly have Broncos the Capacity stripped off him the Origin series loss and the broken arm against St George was cruel blow to the beginning of the end of his great a career then the loss against Canberra that cost the Broncos a grand final spot,then the final kick in the a guts was been made to do a medical weeks before any other player who went on that Kangaroo tour of 1990 and I believe that was a debrate ploy to make sure he wouldn't go on that tour and you could tell his presence was missing in that first test at Wembley and had he been their it would been another undefeated tour,1991 was befitting for Wally and that showed in the Origin series NSW knew they were lucky not to be White washed that year and the gutless Sydney press to use his Daughter disability to put him off his game and it fail he showed guts to win that game but then used him as the scape goat for loss in the first test against NZ and thank God he was sent off a winner in his last club game even thou he never won a Sydney premiership.
Great vid. I saw a couple of early origin games when I was finishing high school or starting Uni. I always wound up sitting in the outer at the Milton Rd end; really uncomfortable, really cold... it was not enjoyable. But I’ve got to admit seeing Lang park here brought back great memories.
Can anyone remember..if I recall correctly..wally lewis getting hit in the throat and had the runner perform mouth to mouth as they left the field??? I remember it watching SOO long ago
I was really into rugby league at this time. I was working in Townsville at the time, a real full on bastion of the league. I remember all this. It was also when Roy and HG were in their prime, and their calls of the origin still ring in my ears. To me Arko was the enemy, him and quale. I remember when I was at UQ. One day I was at the Pool, and the king was there. He had muscles on his muscles. I always had thought he had a gut, but he was real solid.
Yes quality player this bloke no doubt about that. Ad they all were back in the day when they played Rugby League. All about money now. Terrible game now. To many dramas on and off the field. To much cash for bird brains. True. 26/3/20.
As a just-turned17-years-old American exchange for a year in Brisbane in 1991, I was actually fortunate enough to be at this match at Lang Park!
As someone who would eventually become an absolute rugby league TRAGIC, naturally I absorbed all of it and also appreciated the roster of deadset Maroon LEGENDS on the pitch that night, especially my all-time favorite player, Allan Lager (though my team is NQL and very definitely NOT Brisbane)!
IF ONLY!!!
Instead of enjoying one of the greatest all-time matches of The Greatest Game, I horsed around the whole night with a mate of mine from high school while his dad actually had the good sense to WATCH the fucking match!!
I am not one for regrets, but on the short list of them in my life, you can freely pencil in "Did not appreciate league while living in Queensland during a time of legends" somewhere near the top!!
Had I only known then what I subsequently came to learn!!!!!
(Then again, Feldt's, Morgo's and JT's heroics to finish the 2015 GF - even though I was watching it alone in Florida - don't leave me feeling terribly regretful about ANYTHING league-related!)
really cool to see someone from such a different sporting landscape appreciate a michael jordan of our game....as an Aussie that watches a lot of NBA and appreciates the talent over the pond
Travelled to Australia on ‘92 Lions supporters group. Had watched many State of Origin series on video and hoped see Wally Lewis play for Gold Coast against the touring team but seem remember injury prevented it happening (there was a rumour he would just put in a 20 mins cameo but nothing came of that). A friend saw him make his debut for Wakefield in the English comp and declared he’d seen the best player ever. My first hand experience remained his Invincibles and Unbeatables Kangaroo tour appearances. Thanks for these docs, good memories of great players at the best times for the sport.
Still shitting on people’s memories manu…. Good for you!
I’m a kiwi and a NSW supporter but got to meet Wally Lewis when touring Suncorp stadium I walked up to him shook his hand in awe and said “love your work mate! Loved to hate you but you truly are the King of Origin in my eyes” now I’m 6’2 and 120kgs and he looked up at me like “WTF” and then laughed and gave me a hug...A true legend on and off the field 👊🏽
Wally is simply the best. Passionate proud Queenslander / Kangaroo. And an honest, clean fair player too. I'm a Kiwi and have the greatest respect for Wally and the Australian Rugby League Players. They are simply the best. Thanks for the great eternal rugby league memories Wally and co. Cheers.
Yes Rick, I agree mate. And I saw him play in person at club, state and International level in person many times..you're spot on.
But us true Footy fans also respect your New Zealand players. For a small nation in population, you have outstanding Footy players 👊🏻🙂
30 yrs on and still got the goosebumps watching 🍻✊🍻
I first saw Wally play for Valleys in about 76 or 77, I was a ballboy for the Brothers club in Brisbane. Wally and Strudwick used to be a pain in the ass, but Wally was a class above, even then. I watched him throughout his career and saw many many world class player close up, and as much as NSW hates to admit it, he is the best player to have played the game probably ever.
what happened to him in 1990 with being sacked by the Broncos, and fucked over by Arko and Gibbs was pure corruption, vengeance and spite, and history shows they were wrong. Players like Lewis made Origin and League as good as it is today, and I for one, am proud to be a fan.
Yep, I completely agree with you mate. You certainly know your Rugby League. Make sure you subscribe to my channel, as I will have many Footy documentarys uploaded with the new season having commenced. Thanks mate👍🏻🙂
lol you guys north of the tweed are quite funny. lewis was a real good player no doubt but at the same time the single most overrated player of all time. lets deal with some facts
- where lewis was supposed to shine brightest at SOO kenny had his measure when paired at 5/8 by a large margin. for reasons best known only to the corrupt nsw officials at the time they kept shuffling kenny to centre to accomodate lesser players. he still shone of course... could lewis handle any other position? nope
- lewis held off for years coming down to sydney clearly knowing hed be found out and sure enough when the broncos arrived in the expanded comp with a virtual qld team at his disposal and at the top of his powers in the years qld sweeped 3 series in a row what did they accomplish with lewis at the helm? zip
- exit lewis from the broncs and what happens..... they IMMEDIATELY win 2 in a freaking row and begin a culture of domination and success. the toughest test of any player has never been a 3 game series or even tests but the rough and tumble of week to week footy at the highest level and he failed spectacularly. btw kenny won 4 premierships, dominated lewis at SOO, kept him out of the kangaroos tours and dominated England, again something lewis failed to do.
now youre trying to tell me lewis was the best ever????????????????????????????????????? hahahahahahaha enjoy your fake news emperor boys lol
@@albertkelly7129 I agree,great player but nowhere near the best. Andrew John's and Thurston are the best ive seen,hard to separate them.
And still the greatest series ever! Look at the rivalries between 91-94: Langer v Stuart, Daley v Walters, Clyde v Lindner, Elias v Walters, Shearer v Ettingshausen, Bella v Roach, and then there was the King all by himself
Soccer is the biggest and most powerful sport on Planet Earth. Soccer has over 4 Billion fans and is massive in over 240 countries. Every nation on Earth loves Soccer. Rugby League is only big in 4 countries. Its a minority sport in England, France, Lebanon etc. Soccer will be the most popular sport in Australia by 2050 jcsjbw
@@mufc383 soccer is for girls and drama queens
Gary Larson and Billy Moore vs NSW
@@mufc383 Liston mate. You stick to your sport and stay away from commenting on a real man's full-contact sport.
Brett kenny, although thinking earlier then 90s. Didn’t Wally spend most of his career in Brisbane comp?
I saw Wally Lewis many times . Especially quite close up at Central park, Wigan . Wally was to sign up with Wigan IIRC in the 80's, but Ellery Hanley started creating grief. So Lewis wasn't signed by Wigan. Just how good would Wigan have been then around that time period ?
Well done Danmarsky. He was truly 'The Emperor' who morphed into 'The King'. I spent a bit of time with him through those years and there was not a day literally that he wasn't mentioned in the paper, someone said something about him on the radio or TV. He had people who loved him and a very few who hated him even in Queensland. He was polarising as all great players are and have been. If I was drinking with him socially I and the others there would form a semi-circle around him, with his back to a wall, to keep people away so he could have a bit of relaxation. But it didn't stop people from offering a comment or saying gday. People stared at him riveted to the spot. He used to get embarassed. I drove him to an autograph session at a school once and the adulation had to be seen to be believed. We stopped the car outside the school, he paused, turned to me and said, "Brace yourself. Here we go." He steps out of the car and for the next 2 hours it was bedlam with the kids and adults screaming and laughing as he signed autograph after autorgraph. He made sure everyone got what they wanted, photographs, autographs, a chat...you name it. I had to help drag him back to the car. He's waving and smiling...then he finally gets in the car...lets out a big sigh with a grin and says, "Well, that was fun. Let's get some breakfast somewhere it's quiet," and gives me a look like 'it ain't gonna be quiet'. And it wasn't. It never was. No mater where he went. Remarkable unique footballer...great human.I honestly don't know how he handled it. I feel fortunate to have seen him play firsthand and know(n) him also.
Danny, that is sensational mate! I was riveted reading your recount of spending time with Wally during that amazing time in the 80s. You are so fortunate to have witnessed the phenomenon of 'The King'. I was a Rugby League mad kid in the 80s and Wally regularly play in person at BRL club games at Kougari Oval and Lang Park and many Origins and Tests. Wally was our hero, our saviour after decades of being treated like 2nd class citizens by the NSWRL. Ps. I love your 'Rugby League song's. Iconic mate and my Dad, who played for Brisbane Brothers and Ipswich Brothers in the 70s and 80s used to sing your song around home and loved it. Cheers mate
Wally Lewis was talked about in the sports section of "The Daily Telegraph" every day, even before the Broncos were in the Sydney Comp. He really was massive news. He was like a foreign Aussie. An outsider to the Sydney comp but a Aussie nonetheless who wasn't in the Sydney competition. It made for great copy. All the hype was certainly justified. Just a phenomenal talent.
Another great doco Danmarsky, you have a talent for the art form, thank you.
Thank you so much Raphael. I greatly appreciate your positive comment mate.
Stunning documentary, Wally was and will always be the king, his efforts and skill and ability were first class
Thank you so much mate. Please be sure to subscribe to my TH-cam channel and let others know who may like my videos to subscribe...the more support I get the more documentary's I will be able to make like this. Cheers mate 👍🏻🙂
no doubt about it
Did you hate personally all of the nsw players?
Love your docos mate. Brings back lots of fond memories from 80s thru 90s rugby league.
Thanks so much mate. I appreciate it. More docos are on the way and at the end of this year I'll be starting an exclusive Rugby League channel of docos and rare clips and matches. Thanks.
My family went to nearly all games at Lang Park in the 80s & 90s....My Mother 80yrs old now has been involved in league admin for 25-30years and mad footy fanatic, talk footy everytime we speak,...she still to this day declares (and so do I) that Wally was the best ever player ...hands down...1 time, My brother and I watched one of those games Wally won single handedly....then he managed to kick a goal from the sideline, we were directly behind him in line with the kick...my brother turned to me and said and I never forget..`I GUESS THAT MAKES HIM SUPERMAN NOW`..crowd went bananas.lol...
I agree Sir. I also went to the majority of Origins at Lang Park in the 80s and 90s and saw Wally play for Wynumm and Broncs. Best all around Rugby League player of all time...and didn't even hardly train or have a high regard for conditioning. I always say if he were playing now with all the full time training, sport specific conditioning, nutrition, supplements...he would be even better by a large margin...so my feeling is he is the most naturally talented footballer of all time🏉
@@DanmarskyAus agree completely...but i think the training thing was in the family..i played state titles rep touch footy once with Heath his brother..but a.very good player too...
Great film mate I remember growing up in the 80s and 90s and Wally was one of the best. Thanks for the film, brings back the days when footy was footy.
I never had a problem with Graham Lowe coaching Queensland, simply because, if you ask most Kiwis who they back in the SoO, they will always go for Qld. In rugby league, most Kiwis know, like Queenslanders once did, the sting in trying and trying and for years coming up empty.
Wally Lewis made the biggest impact on my life more than any other rugby league player in history.That ends all debates for me right there!!!
Yes I agree Faron👍🏻 By the way, did you happen to play for the Burleigh Bears? There was a sensational winger called Faron Anderson in the 2000s for the Bears👌🏻
Danmarsky yes sir that would be me.These guys made me want to play rugby league.The best era in rugby league for me.Thankyou for posting.Great memories.
All the best.Cheers!
@@faronanderson2536 I was a big fan of yours and the Bears back in the day. Regularly watched yourself and the boys at Pizzey Park. Thanks for watching the videos mate. I grew up loving these legends of the 80s and 90s too and made this Ipswich kid enjoy the game and be a lifelong fan. Cheers Faron👍🏻🙂
Danmarsky thanks mate, appreciate it!Those were the day's.I'll never forget em'.Good times and great footy!
Thanks for keeping these memories alive.Still inspires me to this day.Great to watch.Take care dude!
Everyone wanted to be Wally Lewis he was too Deadly, I was fortunate enough to be at Lang Park for his last game curtain raiser for Murgon High School.
Great work Danmarsky
The King Wally Lewis
❤
Nice documentary. Hail the King. By far the most influential player to have ever played the game.
lol
I've seen a lot of great players over the years here in the UK. But Lewis was the best. Brilliant tactician. Could slip the ball two yards or bullet it thirty putting the runner clear into space. In his prime he could explode through the first twenty leaving the defence reeling. Peerless kicking game. He had it all. But what separated him from all the rest was his physical and mental toughness as well as his ability to inspire those around him to greater things. He would routinely target the opposition's most dominant forwards and clobbered them in the tackle (how many stand offs can you realistically say the same about?). This instantly gave his teammates that bit of impetus to see them through the next set of six. He was great. What's more - he knew he was great. Normally that kind of arrogance can get you into trouble. But Lewis could always back it up. Glad I saw him in his prime. Unlike someone like Alex Murphy whose feats are the stuff of legend and yet so little video exists for fans to enjoy. Great series of SOO videos.
Thank you Sir. I completely agree with you and you make a great point about Wally's being the rare number 6 that could target and clobber a key forward in the opposition, this inspiring his teamates. I saw it week after week in the 80s here in Brisbane and in Origins and Tests....such a unique and legendary footballer.
@@DanmarskyAus It's been a pleasure watching your vids, mate. Great to see someone making old footage available for the public. The crazy thing about Lewis was you'd be hard pressed to find many in either team who looked ... well ... so out of shape. I mean, sure - this was a period of semi-professionalism so you don't expect to see the WWE physiques common to players today. But very often Wally entered the field with a bit of a spare tire and even a double chin. And yet he was still lightning quick over the first twenty and wherever a last-ditch tackle needed to be made he was always the guy making it. This begs the obvious question - what would he have been like if he'd had the kind of commitment to training you saw from the likes of Wayne Pearce or Lindner? I was surprised to hear he tailed off after he joined the Broncos. He couldn't have been that old so I'm guessing the lifestyle finally caught up with him?
@@deaddropholiday I saw Lewis at the University of Queensland pool about 86/87. I’d always thought he was a fatty bumbar but he was all muscle. His upper torso muscles even had muscles.
As a kiwi I gotta say, he is the best. Loved the way he played. The passion. Olsen Filipina made him look almost ordinary once. Just once.
As an Australian Olsen Filipina always worried me during test matches. Always in cruise mode in club games, but put a black and white jersy on him and Olsen turned into the hulk.
Lewis was not the best low defender...his tackling from the side was dubious.
I, like a million or more Queenslanders feel blessed to live in a time where we could watch the career of the GOAT of our game and to feel the pain of his being robbed of the accolades, he had earned by the blinked ignorance of desk jockeys. 👑❤
Some great, great players on show on both sides.
great comment
Danmarsky.... Great stuff Mate!! Cheers.
Thanks Johno!! You're welcome mate. Make sure you've subscribed to my channel as I will have plenty of State Of Origin and League documentary's and interviews released this coming season.
1990 was not kind to Wally Lewis but it was I was very disappointed that Wally never toured Great Britain that year but was glad he won back the origin shield 1991.
The king
yes
Very excellent doco brother as a kiwi I’m a Queensland hard all day everyday only reason why is cos when I was a kid watching it in the early 90s NSW was all ways winning the game just hope they bring one game to New Zealand
Thank you. I appreciate the positive comments. Glad you enjoyed the doco
And is still the King
2023 🔭
Ahh there's why most kiwis go for Queensland, Grahame Lowe a great kiwi legend in his own right, cheers Danmarsky again
You are welcome mate. Yes Graham Lowe sure left an incredible legacy of achievement and coaching👍🏻
@@DanmarskyAus true that bro
There will only ever be one King of the Sunshine State..
King Wally
Lewis in like a boss 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻 legend and inspiration
Yes, the ultimate leader👊🏻🏉
yes indeed
What names... both for qld and nsw. NSW had a mean pack the whole series; roach, sirro, Roberts, Geyer, cement Gillespie, Craig Salvatore. Qld had their honest toilers, though Martin bella ran riot in game three. Poor Paul hauff. Had a dog of a test match against NZ on debut.. last I heard he went back to being a cop at Inala Civic Center.
Yeah mate. I think Hauff is a policeman at Indooroopilly last I heard
Danmarsky Poor fella. However he had his day in the sun.
Several years ago a poll was put up to see who was the greatest ever sportsperson for Qld , Wally won that , forever the king 👑
how embarrassing when you have a guy called Laver. smh
GOAT
Greatest moment for NSW in Origin history when Mark Geyer stuck it to Wally Lewis. Arthur Beetson jobbed Mick Cronin in the first ever Origin in 1980 so this was our revenge.
Kudo's to Grahame Lowe. An awesome couch and an awesome kiwi.
Certainly a great coach. Good enough to gain Wally Lewis' trust and respect as Origin coach 👍🏻
Another great video mate. Ya can't beat a bit biff!! The game to me doesn't have the characters like it did in the 80s/90s? Or maybe it's me getting old lol. Saw the Aussies on tour in 86 against Halifax and again in 90 v halifax and Great Britain, Never saw Wally play in person . Amazing player built like prop !!
Thanks mate!! Yes, I agree. Sadly the game hardly resembles the game I grew up watching and playing in the 80s and 90s. That's awesome you saw the 86 Kangaroos. Mate, I grew up going to see Wally play on a weekly basis in the Footy season. I was very lucky to see him play at least 10 to 20 times in person per year from 1985 to 1991. Honestly, you had to see it to believe it. An absolute freak of a player.
I feel the same. I reckon it’s age. To young kids these fellas are heroes, just like these guys were for us. In 30 years time they’ll be saying the same as we’re saying now.
Rodger Smith I have the same sentiments.I can't explain it but for me the mid 80's through to the mid 90's were the best years in rugby league for me at all levels (club,state & international ).It seemed more authentic,more genuine!
That era captured my heart and imagination.To me these guys were really tough,not gym tough but just physically and mentally tough and naturally fit.It really was a man's game and every player played 80 minutes.They knew the game inside-out and didn't really need to be told how to play or how to win.They just knew.They were real footballers.That era produced some if the best football I have ever seen.It was inspiring and so exciting to watch.They were my heroes,living legends and really played for no other reason but for the love of the game.I do believe most of them still had to hold down jobs like everybody else in the community,not being detached from the community like the players of today are.
I truly miss those days.I don't get that same feeling of anticipation before watching games now and I don't watch it as much as I used to anymore either.It's a sad reality!!!
I
What is the point of the background music if it drowns out the conversation?
The best. I love JT and Locky and I can definitely appreciate what Joey, Brad and Laurie etc did in their carers too. I am a biased Queenslander for sure, who grew up watching Wally as a kid...although I was a Balmain Tigers fan in those days....until the merge. But almost all physical contact sporting codes have become a hell of a lot softer and more protective of the players over the years. Some of that is good, but some of that has taken away from what made each sport great.
Now, especially in rugby league; you see the athleticism of new players. But would you stand them up against an Ian Roberts, Steve Roach, Les Davidson, Arthur Beetson, Ray Price...or pretty much anyone that played in that time? The first 20 minutes, they'd get absolutely smashed into submission...without the opportunity to interchange at will. The fact that Wally was widely revered as the greatest player ever - both north and south of the border, in a time when the game was not just tough, it was violent....says plenty. I remember that last tour and the crap that went on around it and he was bloody robbed. Wally certainly never helped himself much, but the league bosses hated Wally and he got shafted for sure
Wonder how he’d have fared in the wallabies of that era.
good question 🔭🦘
1990 definitely was not a kind year to Wally, Firstly have Broncos the Capacity stripped off him the Origin series loss and the broken arm against St George was cruel blow to the beginning of the end of his great a career then the loss against Canberra that cost the Broncos a grand final spot,then the final kick in the a guts was been made to do a medical weeks before any other player who went on that Kangaroo tour of 1990 and I believe that was a debrate ploy to make sure he wouldn't go on that tour and you could tell his presence was missing in that first test at Wembley and had he been their it would been another undefeated tour,1991 was befitting for Wally and that showed in the Origin series NSW knew they were lucky not to be White washed that year and the gutless Sydney press to use his Daughter disability to put him off his game and it fail he showed guts to win that game but then used him as the scape goat for loss in the first test against NZ and thank God he was sent off a winner in his last club game even thou he never won a Sydney premiership.
“Here’s to Wally Lewis for lacing up a boot … “
Great vid. I saw a couple of early origin games when I was finishing high school or starting Uni. I always wound up sitting in the outer at the Milton Rd end; really uncomfortable, really cold... it was not enjoyable. But I’ve got to admit seeing Lang park here brought back great memories.
Great memories there bud. I was in that same outer as you at many of those games too. Best atmosphere the old Lang Park
Can anyone remember..if I recall correctly..wally lewis getting hit in the throat and had the runner perform mouth to mouth as they left the field??? I remember it watching SOO long ago
Not sure about that one. But I remember when he half swallowed his mouth guard and they used the linesman's flagpole to wedge it out.
1:06 😦😦😦
Alexander murders that try!
I was really into rugby league at this time. I was working in Townsville at the time, a real full on bastion of the league. I remember all this. It was also when Roy and HG were in their prime, and their calls of the origin still ring in my ears. To me Arko was the enemy, him and quale. I remember when I was at UQ. One day I was at the Pool, and the king was there. He had muscles on his muscles. I always had thought he had a gut, but he was real solid.
Great times mate!! Rugby League was truly the greatest game of all in the 80s and 90s
Great man Graeme Lowe. He's Queensland's adopted son!👍
1990 would be the first tour without the Kangaroo Test Halfback partnership of Lewis and Sterling
Blues 11 cheap shots then heads off away from the blue 🤦🏻♂️
Yes quality player this bloke no doubt about that. Ad they all were back in the day when they played Rugby League. All about money now. Terrible game now. To many dramas on and off the field. To much cash for bird brains. True. 26/3/20.
Did anyone like John Ribot?
I liked him when he played for Wests then Valleys. But as an administrator, no.
Real league players
Every blade of grass mate
Wally was a hard man but he's not joey
Joey WHO.
@Des - Exactly😂😂
Wrong johns bro, that was chris johns. qlder playing for the blues
You're right Walter was streets ahead.
Jordan Crothers g*
Yeah typical Queensland
Mark Geyer play 2 rough let's suspend him. If Mark Geyer was playing New South Wales wins
I heard that NSW had dropped him anyways then he got suspended