The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the Maroons after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales in the State of Origin series. The team was most recently coached by Billy Slater and captained by Cameron Munster, and is administered by the Queensland Rugby League. They play all of their home matches at Brisbane's Lang Park (known due to naming rights as Suncorp Stadium).
Since 1908, a rugby league team representing Queensland has been assembled from players based in the state to compete annually against New South Wales. The team used to play matches against other high-profile foreign and domestic touring teams, but has not played anyone other than New South Wales in several decades. From 1980 onwards, when Queensland was first allowed to select players of local origin even if they were currently at clubs outside its borders, the team's success rate against New South Wales improved dramatically. From 1980-87, clubs from both the Brisbane Rugby League and the NSWRL provided players for the side. Since the creation of the Brisbane Broncos in 1988, Maroons players have only been selected from the NSWRL (until 1995) and its successor competition, the National Rugby League, with the sole exception of Game III 2001 when Allan Langer was selected from the Super League. As of 2023, the Maroons have won thirteen out of the past eighteen series, including a record-breaking eight successive State of Origin victories between 2006 and 2013.
The Queensland Maroons enjoy widespread popularity across Queensland. Additionally, they are also the more popular side than the New South Wales Blues outside Queensland.
Contents
History
Residential era (1908–1979)
Queensland had already been playing in their maroon jerseys each year against New South Wales in their sky blue before the split in rugby football between union and league took place. Queensland's captain, Mike Dore, left the rugby union establishment to play the new Northern Union brand of football in 1907 and his decision to switch codes influenced many other Queensland union players including his brother, to join the rugby league ranks. The first Queensland rugby league team ever formed, like the first New South Wales and Australian teams ever formed, was for playing the ground-breaking 1907–08 New Zealand rugby tourists, and was as follows:
1. Roy Allingham, 2. Doug McLean, 3. George Watson, 4. Arthur O'Brien, 5. William Evans, 6. William Abrahams, 7. Mick Dore8. Jack Horan, 9. Robert Tubman, 10. William Hardcastle, 11. Vic Anderson, 12. Ernest Cartmill, 13. Jack Fihelly
Still some months away from having its own competition, when Queensland first played rugby league against New South Wales in the opening match of the 1908 interstate series they lost 43–0. This set the precedent for much of interstate rugby league's early history in Australia. During the 1912 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia, Queensland lost both its matches against the Kiwis in Brisbane. Again, Queensland played two matches against the Kiwis during the 1913 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia and again the Maroons lost both.
New South Wales had won every match between the two states until 1922, when the Maroons, with Cyril Connell playing at halfback, achieved their maiden victory. This commenced Queensland's only golden period before the introduction of State of Origin. During the 1924 Great Britain Lions tour Queensland hosted a match against Great Britain at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground, where 35,000 saw the Maroons defeat the Lions 10-25. In 1925 Queensland toured New Zealand and played against the full New Zealand side. The Queensland side was invited to tour ahead of the New South Wales side because Queensland was the more dominant of the two during this period.
During the 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand Queensland played one match against the successful France national rugby league team, a 19-all draw. During the 1953 American All Stars tour of Australia and New Zealand Queensland hosted a match at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, winning 39–39 before a crowd of 24,397.
State of Origin era (1980–present)
In the inaugural State of Origin match in 1980, Queensland surprised all in a commanding 20–10 win over New South Wales. Arthur Beetson and Chris Close were the stars for Queensland, but Kerry Boustead scored Queensland's first ever try. This saw the new State of Origin rules applied a fairer game, saw it again in 1981. In 1981, legendary captain Arthur Beetson was ready to play before injury ruled him out, so he became coach of the team, and would remain so for the next three years. It seemed that State of Origin might still be dominated by New South Wales with the Blues ahead 15–0, but a remarkable comeback by Queensland saw them defeat New South Wales 22–15 with young captain Wally Lewis and Chris Close the stars of the comeback win. This match gave rugby league officials the impetus to decide that 1982 should have 2 State of Origin matches and a decider if required.
In 1982, for the first time all three matches of the interstate series were played using 'origin' selection rules. New South Wales won their first State of Origin match in Game One, but this was not enough to stop Queensland winning the second and third games with Mal Meninga, Rod Morris and captain Wally Lewis the heroes for Queensland of the series. The next year New South Wales won the second game, but Queensland dominated the first and the decider winning the series with Wally Lewis being the saviour for Queensland.
At the end of the 1983 seasons in Qld and NSW, the Queensland team also toured Papua New Guinea and England. Their tour of Great Britain saw them play three matches. The first against Hull Kingston Rovers resulted in an 8–6 loss, though the Wally Lewis led Maroons then easily won their remaining matches against Wigan (40–2) and Leeds (58–2).
In 1984, Queensland won the first two games for the series, dominating the series, with Kerry Boustead and Wally Lewis the stars of the series, New South Wales won the final match.
In 1985, Queensland saw their first ever series loss to New South Wales. New South Wales were dominant through the series. Queensland's poor performance could be seen as Arthur Beetson retiring as coach or New South Wales halfback Steve Mortimer in good form. Queensland lost the first two matches but won the third match. Under new coach, Wayne Bennett, the 1986 series saw Queensland play a lot better but the scoreboard did not show it. Queensland lost all 3 games, only by small margins for each game, but the fact was New South Wales had whitewashed Queensland.
Colours and badge
The primary colour of the QLD Maroons is Maroon, which represents the state colour of Queensland. The secondary colour is Gold, with an additional contrasting colour of white. The Maroons badge was created and used since the club's founding in 1908. It features a football set centrally in a stylised Q representing Queensland. Other badges have been used such as a stylised Q with a Kangaroo next to it.
Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
No manufacturer logo is present on the QLD jersey between 1981 and 1984.
Alpha Micro Computers sponsored the QLD Origin team for the one-off exhibition game in Los Angeles in 1987.
The XXXX 26 year Sponsorship of Queensland Maroons State of Origin Team will come to an end at the conclusion of State of Origin 3 at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday, 12 July 2017.
Players
While the Queensland rugby league team's players mostly come from Queensland, up until 1980 when residential selection criteria were still used, some of New South Wales' most prominent footballers, such as Dally Messenger and Clive Churchill, also played for the Maroons. Queensland's players are some of the most famous athletes Australia produces, with goal-kicking centre Mal Meninga being named the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year in 1990, the first rugby league player to ever do so. Since the turn of the century Maroons players have become big name footballers not only in rugby league but in other codes as well. Rugby union's 2003 World Cup Final alone featured four former Queensland players: Brad Thorn playing for the All Blacks, and Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor playing for the Wallabies. Former Maroons Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau were both recruited by the AFL to play Australian rules football (and both also currently play professional rugby union).
Current squad
The Official Queensland Maroons Playing Squad 2025.
Team of the Century (1908–2007)
In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, the Queensland Rugby League named their best ever 17, selected from all players from 1908 to 2007.
All-Time Team (1980–2020)
Following Queensland's victory in the 2020 series as State of Origin celebrated its 40th anniversary, Origin legends including Wally Lewis, Paul Vautin, Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston along with New South Wales' Peter Sterling and Andrew Johns selected Queensland's best 17 over the 40 years of State of Origin.
Captains
A list of captains for the Maroons since the beginning of the State of Origin era.
Keys= * indicates more than 1 captain during a series, ^ indicates including a drawn series, retained shield
Emerging Origin squad
Each January, from 2001 to 2019, a squad of 14–15 players on the cusp of Queensland selection, took part in the Emerging Origin program held at the Queensland Academy of Sport in Brisbane. The program, run by Wayne Bennett and the current Queensland coaching staff, indoctrinated players on Queensland's Origin culture and values and included player training and meetings with dietitians and sports psychologists. From the inaugural Emerging Origin squad in 2001, 12 of the players went on to play for Queensland in State of Origin. Since 2001, 66 players who have participated in the Emerging Origin program have represented Queensland in State of Origin.
In 2000, after Queensland's embarrassing series defeat to New South Wales, Bennett returned to coach the Maroons and established the Emerging Origin program in conjunction with the QAS. Before re-taking the job, Bennett phoned then-Queensland Minister for Sport Terry Mackenroth, requesting that if he retake the job, the program receive the support of the government, which Mackenroth agreed to.
On 20 December 2019, the Queensland Rugby League announced a 33-man Maroons squad, which included current representatives and uncapped players, to take part in a two-day camp, moving away from the traditional Emerging Origin concept.
Coaches
Queensland has had a total of eight different coaches at State of Origin level, all of whom have played for the Maroons previously except for New Zealand's Graham Lowe, the only non-Australian to coach in State of Origin. The list also includes the known coaches from the pre-Origin era and only counts games against NSW. Games against touring teams from New Zealand and Great Britain or Queensland's three game tour of England in 1983 are not counted. Win percentages are listed to the nearest two decimal places.
Wally Lewis / Ron McAuliffe Medal
From 1992 to 2003, this award was the "Wally Lewis Medal", however after 2003 this medal was dedicated to the player of the series from both Queensland and New South Wales, and thus the award for the Queensland Player of the Series was awarded with the Ron McAuliffe Medal.
Records
The most-capped Queensland State of Origin player is Cameron Smith, with 42 caps. The player with the most tries for Queensland in State of Origin history is Greg Inglis, with 18 tries. The player with the most points is Johnathan Thurston, with 220 points.
Support
The Queensland Maroons are widely supported within Queensland. The Maroons also garner significant support from rugby league fans outside the state in the State of Origin series against the New South Wales Blues (NSW Blues).
Ahead of Game III of the 2026 State of Origin series, data from the National Rugby League (NRL) found that the Maroons were the most popular team in the series. The data found that among NRL account holders, support for Queensland was at 65.0% in Tasmania, 61.8% in Victoria, 58.8% in the Northern Territory and 50.9% in Western Australia. Outside Australia, poll also found that 57.9% of fans based in Papua New Guinea (PNG) supported the Maroons, while New Zealand was almost evenly split at 50.5% (with the North Island narrowly supporting the NSW Blues and the South Island firmly supporting the Maroons). However, audiences in the United Kingdom and the United States were reported to favour the Blues. Following the data release, Blues hooker Reece Robson suggested that the Maroons' greater success (such as the period in which the team won eight consecutive Origin shields) drew neutral fans to the Maroons, citing some of his own friends as examples.