Heroics of 1995 Maroons continue to inspire 30 years on

Former Queensland tough nut Gavin Allen summed up the mood when the champion Maroons of 1995 gathered for a 30-year catchup recently. “It was the best footy reunion I’ve ever been to,” Allen said of the celebrations at XXXX Ale House in Brisbane. 

FOGS will have their own opinions on which was the “best” State of Origin series win of all time but the 3-0 champions of 1995 are surely on the podium. 

Against all odds versus a star-studded NSW side, and without their gun Brisbane Broncos contingent due to the Super League war, rookie coach Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin led his men to a clean sweep victory to savour. 

The lessons from that win for the current Maroons side ahead of the 2025 series are compelling, but not rocket science. 

Inspirational 1995 captain Trevor Gillmeister cut to the chase, as only ‘The Axe’ can, when nailing what the key to their success was. “We were all great mates,” Gillmeister said. 

Gillmeister set the bar high for not letting his mates down when he risked his life for the Maroons. 

Ahead of Game Three at Suncorp Stadium the Queensland leader was in hospital on a drip with after his leg had got infected. Vautin explained to Gillmeister that he had the chance to lead Queensland to a 3-0 win at their spiritual home and get picked for Australia for the first time, if he played. 

That was enough to inspire The Axe to pull on the jersey and rumble. 

Vautin then added that the doctor had also told him he could contract septicemia and die. 

“Fat, what a place to do it,” Gillmeister replied. 

While current coach Billy Slater does not want anyone to die for the cause, the Gillmeister example has resonated for 30 years as the ultimate act of putting the team first.  

Another lesson from 1995 is the paramount importance of support staff. No more committed Queenslander is there than Chris ‘Choppy’ Close, man of the match in the first two Origin games. 

Vautin got Close to give a speech when the team gathered together for the first time before the series. Choppy had the players enthralled by his passion and emotion for Queensland and the state’s rich rugby league history, but he had to sit down after his bottom lip quivered and he started blubbering. 

Fullback Robbie O’Davis was so inspired he piped up: “Give me a jersey and we will play them now.” 

The Maroons were without 11 of their best 1994 Origin stars and were up against a NSW side that boasted nine Test players and legendary coach Phil Gould. Matthew and Andrew Johns, who both made their Australia debuts later that year, were also in the side. 

Close said the resulting clean sweep taught an eternal truth for the current Maroons. 

“Billy Slater is very much in tune with the past and he has got to make sure he picks a team that will give him everything he has got,” Close said. 

“There are not always 17 champions in a team and Queensland in 1995 were a fantastic example of that. It doesn’t matter what the opposition is. It matters what your team is.”

A simple but effective game plan also helps. Numerous players from that series have spoken about how motivated they were by the initial speech of Vautin when they came into camp. 

All he asked them to do was run harder and tackle harder than their opponents and reminded them that they were up against “Blue jerseys” not supermen. 

Vautin focused on defensive resolve, highlighted by the Maroons’ 2-0 win in game one, and didn’t get too fancy. Prop forward Gavin Allen said it worked a treat. 

“We probably didn’t have the players to put on a complicated game plan,” Allen said. 

“It doesn’t matter if you bring out a simple game plan or a complicated one, what Fatty did so well was get us all on the same page and having a dig for each other. 

He never put any pressure on the players. He just made it an enjoyable time while pushing home the responsibility of being a Queenslander.  

“When the time came we got down to business. Fatty doesn’t like to give himself credit but he was a big part of it.” 

Gillmeister is convinced that the 1995 achievement will remain unique in Origin history. 

“Winning Origin games is hard enough at any time but we were rated no chance of even getting close. We were meant to get smacked,” he said. 

“To come out and win 3-0 like that 1995 side did will never be done again. 

“Fatty did a great job coaching-wise and was the right man for the job. Choppy and Tosser Turner, who is not with us now, were so important to us and what we were able to do. It is just a great story.”