2002 State of Origin series
| 2002 State of Origin series | |
|---|---|
| Won by |
  (drawn title) |
| Series margin | 1-1-1 |
| Points scored | 116 |
| Attendance | 178,252 (ave. 59,417 per match) |
| Top points scorer(s) |
Lote Tuqiri (28) |
| Top try scorer(s) |
Lote Tuqiri (5) |
The 2002 State of Origin series saw the 21st time that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. It was the second drawn series in four years and being the second default title retention by Queensland, it ignited protests from the New South Wales camp eventually accepted by the NRL, for the introduction of extra-time to State of Origin matches was introduced to ensure a definitive result.
A young and enthusiastic New South Wales side proved far too good for their older opponents when they ran away with a 32-4 win in game I. The result suggessted a bright future for the Blues who unearthed a number of new stars in fullback Brett Hodgson, centre Jamie Lyon and forwards Luke Bailey, Steve Simpson and Australian Test hooker Danny Buderus. Lyon showed his worth early with a remarkable try in the 24th minute off an Andrew Johns grubber kick on halfway.
Johns was named man of the match but it was Hodgson who stood tall after many had questioned the ability of the diminutive fullback to withstand the physical demands of Origin. The Parramatta Eels fullback ran for a record 390 metres - more than twice that of any other player on the field - and capped his night with an 80-metre run from the scrumbase to score under the posts.
Queensland winger, Lote Tuqiri was charged with a dangerous throw in an NRL match and was left off the Queensland team sheet so he could plead guilty at the judiciary, allowing him to serve his ban on the Friday and be available for Game II the following Wednesday.
In a typical Origin script, Queensland managed to reverse the result in game II with a thrilling display to level the series. In a disastrous debut, Maroons centre Justin Hodges emulated the feat of New South Wales' Phil Duke of twenty years earlier when he gathered a Johns kick in the 27th minute and fired a pass in goal to Darren Lockyer, only to see the ball sail over Lockyer's head and Blues five-eighth Braith Anasta pounce to give his side the lead. Then in the 61st minute Hodges did it again for Luke Ricketson to score before he was eventually hauled from the field by coach Wayne Bennett as his confidence dropped.
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