By Wayne Heming

QUEENSLANDER, QUEENSLANDER!!

Memories of FOG #75 Billy Moore screaming “QUEENSLANDER, QUEENSLANDER” in the Sydney Football Stadium tunnel before an Origin game almost 28 years ago to the day, still stir the emotions of maroon fans.

It was one of those very special moments which has become part of Origin folklore.

“It’s the call when you need help, uplifting your spirits knowing who you are fighting for, the legacy before and those who come after you,” said Moore, who played 17 Origins for Queensland.

It was a cry which made the hair on the back of your neck stand up and your heart pump faster.

The passion and pride of the QUEENSLANDER call in part, inspired and motivated the underdog Maroons to perhaps Origin’s greatest upset.

The year was 1995.

Paul “Fatty” Vautin answered the call to replace Wayne Bennett as Maroons coach, as anyone who aligned themselves with the new breakaway Super League competition was banned by the ARL from playing Origin.

It ripped the heart out of the Queensland side but those players chosen to replace the superstars all covered themselves in glory and claimed a special place in the state’s Origin history.

With eight Origin rookies, including a halfback from PNG, Adrian Lam, and a young kid named Ben Ikin, who was barely old enough to have a beer, Vautin’s squad was quickly dubbed the Neville Nobody’s and given absolutely no chance.

They were immediately written off with talk from down south that they would get hammered by cricket scores in all three games.

But the Queensland spirit proved stronger than ever and inspired by Moore’s QUEENSLANDER call and the negative comments, they won a gripping opening game 2-0 — the only try-less Origin game ever played.

They went on to embarrass the star-studded NSW team, which included several members of the Australian team, to take the series 3-0.

Queensland never start favourites for Origin, they’re never good enough according to the bookies every year, but then that’s the way it’s always been south of the border.

So, let’s get behind our captain Daly Cherry-Evans and our boys in Adelaide on Wednesday night and go one-up over NSW in this year’s series.

We want them to come home and go back-to-back in front of a sold-out Suncorp Stadium on June 21 and lock up Queensland’s 23^rd series win.

To all the players, coaching staff, support staff, and crew of the Maroon family involved in this year’s campaign, the FOGS stand with you as QUEENSLANDERS.

Tonight’s teams: