1908 interstate series

The 1908 Interstate rugby league series was the first series of matches between the then newly-formed New South Wales and Queensland rugby league football teams. In what was rugby league in Australia's first year, three matches were played in July and all were won by New South Wales. These matches began the tradition of annual series between New South Wales and Queensland that would go on to form the basis of the State of Origin series.

Following the success of the 1907–08 All Golds tour, the Queensland rugby league team went on to arrange three games against New South Wales at the Sydney Agricultural Ground. Although remaining winless, thrashed 43-0 and 37-8 in the first two games, the tight 12-3 result in the third match gave Queensland its first-ever rugby league stars, with Mick Bolewski, Bill Hardcastle, Bill Heidke and Jack Fihelly all being selected for the first-ever Kangaroo tour to England.

Still some months away from having their own competition, Queensland traveled to Sydney to play rugby league football against New South Wales for the first time and lost 43 – 0.

Queensland: 1. E Baird, 2. W Abrahams, 3. W Heidke, 4. M Bolewski, 5. A O'Brien, 6. O Olsen, 7. M Dore (c), 8. W Hardcastle, 9. J Fihelly, 10. V Anderson, 11. R Tubman, 12. E Cartmill, 13. J Thompson

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