The Streak EPUB

In The Streak, Paul Connolly takes a lively look back at Queensland's history-making eight-year dominance of rugby league's State of Origin between 2006 and 2013. From last-gasp field goals to stirring comebacks, from spectacular tries to a couple of punches that changed the game, The Streak recounts the crucial games, the memorable moments, the star players and the controversies that kept us enthralled during the eight seasons in which the Queensland Maroons reigned supreme.

It may be hard to believe now but ahead of the 2006 State of Origin series the concept of Origin football was questioned, such was the dominance of New South Wales, who had won 10 of the previous 16 series, three of them consecutively between 2002 and 2005. The glory days of Wally Lewis & Co. had well and truly faded and were turning up at the corners like old photographs.

Heading into the 2006 series the Maroons were not expected to trouble NSW. New coach Mal Meninga's club coaching record hardly inspired unqualified confidence, stalwarts Petero Civoniceva and Darren Lockyer were supposedly past their best, and seven of the Queensland squad-youngsters such as Greg Inglis, Sam Thaiday, Nate Myles and Matt Scott-were debutants, untested in the cauldron of Origin football.

But after the hiccup of a one-point loss in the 2006 opener, the Maroons won 17 of the next 23 games and by doing so won an unprecedented-and scarcely believable-eight consecutive Origin series, driving NSW to distraction and despair. Captained by Lockyer and, later, Cameron Smith, Meninga's magnificent Maroons rediscovered the 'Queenslander' ethos and proved themselves to be one of the greatest teams in league history; at once a team of champions and a champion team.

"It's not as if Queenslanders need a reason to beat NSW at anything, for the desire to do so seems to be in their very DNA."