WHO IS THIS GUY? TOMMY HAD NO IDEA
Follow @NRLTweetPublished November 7th, 2021
If you don't know who this is playing for NSW in 1988, then you are in good company... Tommy Raudonikis company, as the legend goes.
Allegedly at a NSW reunion, Tommy was introduced to the player in question and he asked in classic Tommy fashion:
"Who are you? You never played Origin, what are you doing here?"
To which our man replied.
"Yes I did Tommy. Like you, I played in one Origin, and I also scored one try... however Tommy, my try was worth four points, yours was only worth three."
The player is Steve Hanson.
He was a late call up into the NSW team for Game 3 of the 1988 Series (QLD had already won the Series) when then Australian and NSW prop Phil Daley was sacked from the side for leaving camp mid-week.
Hanson's try came during a torrid opening to the game by the Blues as they rocketed out to a 16-0 lead to stun QLD in front of just 16,910 fans at the new SFS... Hanson ran a beautiful line off Cliffy Lyons to score under the posts (and give Steven Menzies a blueprint to follow half a dozen years or so later.)
Mind you, QLD were back level by halftime and won the game 38-22 to clean sweep the series 3-0, but Steve Hanson had his slice of Rugby League history by scoring a try on State of Origin debut and having more points at Origin level than Tommy Raudonikis (in just as many games).
Hanson passed away on November 4th 2015 at just 54 years old.
He debuted for North Sydney in 1985 and played in 87 games for the Bears through 1990. After a year in the then Metropolitan Cup competition, he finished his First Grade career with Eastern Suburbs across the 1992-93 seasons playing another 22 games.
In all he scored 7 Tries, and all of them were worth 4 points 😁
Rest in Peace Steve.
Shoutout to Bobby Peterson for requesting this little tribute via the Winfield Cup Facebook Page, if you've got a story to share that is PG13 that you'd like us to write up please send us a message.
🗓 1988 #WinfieldCup
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