1987 Rugby League State of Origin series
| 1987 State of Origin series | |
|---|---|
| Won by |
 Queensland (4th series title) |
| Series margin | 2-1 |
| Points scored | 72 |
| Attendance | 109,091 (ave. 36,364 per match) |
| Top points scorer(s) |
 Michael O'Connor Dale Shearer (14 points each) |
| Top try scorer(s) |
Dale Shearer (3 tries) |
The 1987 State of Origin series saw the sixth time the annual three-match series between the New South Wales and Queensland representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'State of Origin' selection rules. It saw the emergence of new faces who would go on to become Origin legends (Queensland's Allan Langer and New South Wales' Andrew Ettingshausen), record crowds for all three matches, and an additional exhibition game played in Long Beach, California (near Los Angeles).
The 1987 series was also the last in which players for Queensland were selected from teams of the Brisbane Rugby League premiership. With the introduction of the Brisbane and Gold Coast clubs to the New South Wales Rugby League premiership the following year, after this series all players in State of Origin would be sourced from NSWRL teams. The final five BRL players selected for Queensland were captain Wally Lewis, Gene Miles, Allan Langer, Colin Scott and Greg Conescu, all of whom joined the Brisbane Broncos in 1988.
Mark Murray had missed just one Origin clash in the first five series but when he suffered a serious eye injury that forced his premature retirement in the off-season of 1986, it was widely expected that in-form Eastern Suburbs half-back Laurie Spina would be called into the side after good form for the Roosters and impressing in a Qld selection trial at Lang Park. Instead, and against the wishes of coach Wayne Bennett, the Maroons selectors opted for the jockey-sized Ipswich Jets half-back Allan Langer then just 68 kg and a month shy of his 21st birthday. Spina would never again get the chance to represent Queensland.
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