Game I
| May 23, 1994 | Queensland | 16–12 | New South Wales | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 41,859 Referee/s: Bill Harrigan Man of the Match: Willie Carne |
| (4- 1 t) Julian O'Neill (4 - 1 t) Willie Carne (4 - 1 t) Mark Coyne (2 - 1 g) Mal Meninga |
(Report) | Brad Mackay (4- 1 t) Paul Harragon (4- 1 t) Rod Wishart (2 - 1 g) Graham Mackay (2 - 1 g) |
For 75 minutes New South Wales were the better side and led 12-4 as a trickle of spectators began to make an early exit to beat the traffic. Those that left missed one of the greatest rugby league miracles of all time. With five minutes to go Willie Carne scored for Queensland reaching over his head to take a pass from centre Mark Coyne. Maroons captain Mal Meninga kicked the conversion but the Blues defence rallied from the kick-off and they kept the Queenslanders pinned in their own quarter as the clock ticked down.
Still 60 metres to negotiate. Plays the ball back to Meninga, New South Wales offside. Langer to Kevin Walters then the ball goes to Carne. Carne looking to get the pass away. Renouf plucks it out of the sky, he goes down the touch line, the ball to Hancock, Hancock only 30 out. The pass to Darren Smith, the ball to Langer, Langer's only 18 out, the ball to Meninga, Meninga for the line, back to Coyne, Coyne's in! Try! Try! Try!
“ ” Ray Hadley calling the Coyne try.With 60 seconds remaining and trailing 12-10 Queensland launched one last attacking wave from deep inside their own half. Halfback Allan Langer initiated the play, firing a long ball to Kevin Walters. The five-eighth passed to Willie Carne, whose overhead pass released Steve Renouf. The Test centre raced up-field as suddenly the tension rose.
The Maroons threw a rapid-fire series of chain passes spanning the breadth of the SFS. The Blues' defence gathered in numbers but as each Queensland player met a tackler he would find another man at his outside shoulder. Renouf, Michael Hancock, Darren Smith, Langer and Mal Meninga all handled and suddenly Mark Coyne was accepting a pass metres out as Brad Fittler and Ricky Stuart tried in vain to bring Coyne down only to see him slide to the line, reach out and score.
Television commentator Ray Warren famously exclaimed, "That's not a try—that's a miracle!" Fittler buried his head in the turf, Stuart in frustration kicked the corner post sky-high and the New South Wales crowd were plunged into deathly silence with 32 seconds left on the clock and the game gone.
Read more about this topic: 1994 State Of Origin Series
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