The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, the team is captained by Cameron Smith and coached by Mal Meninga. Administered by the Queensland Rugby League, the team plays all of its home matches at Brisbane's Lang Park.
Since 1982 Queensland's Maroons have played almost exclusively in Australia's annual three-match State of Origin series against neighbouring state and arch-rivals New South Wales. Both teams are purely representative, with players in modern times primarily chosen from clubs in the National Rugby League. There has been one player chosen from Europe's Super League – Allan Langer for Game III 2001.
The Maroons are the current State of Origin champions, having won seven Origin series in succession including a 3–0 whitewash in 2010. The Maroons have continued their recent success with a 18-10 win over New South Wales in Game I of the 2012 series, they failed to win Game II going down to New South Wales 16-12, but won Game III 21-20 to win the 2012 State Of Origin Series 2–1 thanks to a field goal by Cooper Cronk in the 74th minute.
Read more about Queensland Rugby League Team: Players, Coaches, Queensland Residents
Famous quotes containing the words league and/or team:
“Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward the Light Brigade!”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)
“giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.””
—Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863)