League: Queensland greats hail new greats

Former Queensland player and coach Paul Vautin. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Former Origin heroes Paul Vautin and Bob Lindner declared it Queensland's bravest Origin victory - better than the Maroons' epic battle in Sydney to win the 1989 series.

Seven players had been hit by a stomach virus before the game and lock Dallas Johnson had been hooked up to a saline drip until just hours before kick off.

They lost star centre Greg Inglis to a 22nd minute cheap shot - the Storm star expected to be diagnosed with a broken jaw after scans in Melbourne tomorrow.

Bench prop Ben Hannant defied advice from team doctor Roy Saunders to return to the field on a dodgy knee in the second half, telling the doc "just strap me up and let me got back out".

Saunders said he didn't want Hannant to return to the field but agreed after tests on his knee show he had some lateral movement.

Ashley Harrison played with a painful rib cartilage while other players defied the pain of corks to soldier on in search of the history-making 24-14 win which clinched a fourth straight series win.

"That beats Sydney (1989) easily," said Lindner, who broke his leg in Queensland's 16-12 win in 1989 which, until last night's win, was always regarded as the Maroons gutsiest victory.

On that night halfback Allan Langer was stretchered off with a broken ankle, current coach Mal Meninga suffered a cheekbone injury, Vautin hurt his elbow, and winger Michael Hancock joined the walking wounded.

Vautin said Queensland's effort to play with several players dehydrated following a stomach virus which hit the team on Origin eve, made their performance even more heroic against a disparate NSW outfit.

"That's probably the greatest win I've seen by a Queensland team," said Vautin who played 22 games for Queensland and coached the Maroons to the famous 1995 un-winnable series.

"They had six guys crook before they played.

"They lost Inglis, Ben Hannant played on one leg, other players I could see were physically just about gone.

"This right up there with the best.

"I was sitting by myself up the box and I was yelling out `go boys, go boys'.

"I nearly shed a tear, it was so good to see.

"Mick Crocker has played four first grade games all year and he was there right to the death.

"It was just unbelievable."

A proud Meninga chimed in with his own accolades.

"It was a courageous win by a great bunch of men who believe in themselves," said Meninga who joins Wayne Bennett and Arthur Beetson as Queensland's most successful Origin coach.

"We had nobody on the bench at one stage.

"Ben Hannant had a grade two medial and the doc's advice was he shouldn't play but Ben wanted to go back out knowing the risks."

Meninga didn't argue when it was suggested NSW five-eighth Trent Barrett should have been sent off for his first half cheap shot on Inglis.

"Quite possibly," he said.

"We lost a man and all of a sudden we were down to 16 players and they had a full compliment."

- AAP