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	New South Wales
Nickname	The Blues / The Cockroaches
Association	New South Wales Rugby League
Head coach	Craig Bellamy
Captain	Kurt Gidley
Most caps	Brad Fittler (31)
Home stadium	ANZ Stadium (capacity 83,500)
	Uniform
	Uniform
	Most recent series; 2009 State of Origin: LOST; Queensland 2 - New South Wales 1
	Biggest win; New South Wales 56 - 16 Queensland ; (Stadium Australia, Sydney; 7 June 2000)
	Biggest defeat; Queensland 36 - 6 New South Wales ; (Lang Park, Brisbane; 23 May 1989)

The New South Wales Rugby League team represents the state of New South Wales annually in the Rugby League State of Origin competition against arch-rivals Queensland. They are known as The Blues (because of their sky-blue jerseys) and are also sometimes nicknamed The Cockroaches.

[edit] History

[edit] Pre-Origin era (1908 - 1980)

The New South Wales rugby league team pre-dates the Australian national team, playing the rebel New Zealand rugby team on their first ever tour in 1907. In 1912 the New South Wales team first toured New Zealand. They also visited New Zealand in 1913 and 1922. In both 1912 and 1913 the New South Wales team played matches against full New Zealand sides.^[1]

In a tour match between Great Britain and New South Wales the referee left the field in disgust at the players' persistent fighting after 56 minutes so the match was abandoned.^[2]

[edit] State of Origin era (1980 - present)

Due to the Super League war, in 1997 New South Wales was represented by two teams: one made up of players from clubs that remained loyal to the Australian Rugby League, which competed in the 1997 State of Origin series, and another made up of players from clubs that joined the rebel Super League which competed in the one-off Super League Tri-series.

[edit] Players

[edit] Most recent squad

The team to play Queensland in Game 3 of the 2009 State of Origin series was named on Monday 6 July, 2009

No.	Position	Player	Current Club (2009)
1.	Fullback	Kurt Gidley (c)	Newcastle Knights
2.	Winger	Jarryd Hayne	Paramatta Eels
3.	Centre	Michael Jennings	Penrith Panthers
4.	Centre	Josh Morris	Bulldogs
5.	Winger	David Williams	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
6.	Five-Eighth	Trent Barrett	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
7.	Half-Back	Brett Kimmorley	Bulldogs
8.	Front Row	Josh Perry	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
9.	Hooker	Michael Ennis	Bulldogs
10.	Front Row	Justin Poore	St George Illawarra Dragons
11.	Second Row	Ben Creagh	St George Illawarra Dragons
12.	Second Row	Trent Waterhouse	Penrith Panthers
13.	Lock	Anthony Watmough	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
14.	Interchange	Craig Wing	South Sydney Rabbitohs
15.	Interchange	Tom Learoyd-Lahrs	Canberra Raiders
16.	Interchange	Glenn Stewart	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
17.	Interchange	Brett White	Melbourne Storm
-	Coach	Craig Bellamy	Melbourne Storm.

[edit] Team of the Century

Before game I of the 2008 State of Origin series, New South Wales named their team of the century^[3]:

1. Clive Churchill 2. Ken Irvine 3. Reg Gasnier 4. Graeme Langlands 5. Dally Messenger 6. Bob Fulton 7. Andrew Johns

8. Frank Burge 9. Sandy Pearce 10. Glenn Lazarus 11. Ron Coote 12. Norm Provan 13. John Raper

14. Wally Prigg 15. Dave Brown 16. Steve Rogers 17. Roy Bull

[edit] Captains

Player	Occasions	Games as Captain
Tommy Raudonikis	1	1980
Steve Rogers	1	1981
Max Krilich	5	1982, Games 1 & 3 1983
Ray Price	3	Game 2 1983, Games 1 & 2 1984
Steve Mortimer	3	Game 3 1984, Games 1 & 2 1985
Wayne Pearce	10	Game 3 1985, 1986 - 1988
Peter Sterling	1	Game 4 1987
Gavin Miller	3	1989
Ben Elias	6	1990, 1991
Laurie Daley	13	1992, 1993, 1998, Game 3 1999
Brad Fittler	17	1994 - 1996, Games 1 & 2 1999, 2000, 2001
Geoff Toovey	3	1997
Andrew Johns	6	2002, 2003
Danny Buderus	15	2004 - 2008
Kurt Gidley	3	2009

[edit] Coaches

New South Wales have had a total of thirteen different coaches at State of Origin level, eight of which have previously played for the Blues.

Coach	Era	Games	Wins	Success %
Ted Glossop	1980-1981, 1983	5	1	20%
Frank Stanton	1982, 1984	6	2	33%
Terry Fearnley	1985	3	2	66%
Ron Willey	1986-1987	7	5	71%
John Peard	1988	3	0	0%
Jack Gibson	1989-1990	6	2	33%
Tim Sheens	1991	3	1	33%
Phil Gould	1992-1996; 2002 - 2004	27	14	52%
Tommy Raudonikis	1997-1998	6	3	50%
Wayne Pearce	1999-2001	9	5	56%
Ricky Stuart	2005	3	2	66%
Graham Murray	2006-2007	6	2	33%
Craig Bellamy	2008-	6	2	33%

[edit] References

^ Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1869710908
^ Baker, Andrew (1995-08-20). "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". Independent, The (independent.co.uk). http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/100-years-of-rugby-league-from-the-great-divide-to-the-super-era-1597130.html. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
^ ARL (2008). "Australian Rugby Football League 2008 Annual Report" (pdf). Australian Rugby Football League Limited. p. 30. http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/files/11726_ARL_Annrep_1.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-19.

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[0] Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1869710908

[1] Baker, Andrew (1995-08-20). "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". Independent, The (independent.co.uk). http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/100-years-of-rugby-league-from-the-great-divide-to-the-super-era-1597130.html. Retrieved 2009-09-25.

[2] ARL (2008). "Australian Rugby Football League 2008 Annual Report" (pdf). Australian Rugby Football League Limited. p. 30. http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/files/11726_ARL_Annrep_1.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-19.

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