Paul Vautin has described as only he can how he went from a Footy Show skit to a 1995 State of Origin clean sweep as coach, via a near death experience for his close mate and captain Trevor Gillmeister.
It was a sight for sore eyes at the XXXX Ale House on Friday when the triumphant 1995 Queensland side gathered for a 30-year reunion where tall tales but true permeated the atmosphere, in harmony with the liquid gold pouring from the famous taps.
The 3-0 series win, by a team known as the ‘Neville Nobodies’ against a star-studded NSW outfit, remains the benchmark for what more than a few good men can do when they are the right men.
The lessons from that famous victory still apply to Billy Slater’s current Maroons squad, who will wear a jersey decorated with elements of the 1995 strip as they attempt to regain the Origin shield.
In 1995 it all started with a phone call by then Queensland Rugby League boss Ross Livermore to novice coach Vautin in an hour of need when the Footy Show host was unzipping his dress.
“I was in the car park at Channel Nine and wiping off some lipstick and getting out of some high heels because we had had just shot a (skit) when my phone rings,” Vautin grinned.”It was Ross Livermore and he goes straight to business. He said ‘Wayne Bennett has stood down from coaching the Queensland side and we’re in desperate need of a coach and we want you to coach Queensland’. I said ‘Ross, how many have knocked it back?’
“He said, ‘you are the first bloke we rang. I said, ‘I’ll do it. Beautiful.’ Queensland coach. Could it get any better?”
Vautin met his squad at the team hotel, including current QRL boss Ben Ikin who was a teenager of unknown pedigree to the coach. They got out of the lift together on the fifth floor.
“I said, ‘stop right there. This floor is for Origin players only. If you want an autograph wait in the foyer and we will be down in half an hour’,” Vautin recalled.
“He goes, ‘I am Ben Ikin. I am in your team you idiot’. I go ‘You are Ben Ikin. Let’s go and win a series 3-0 champ’.”
They did, after the 22-game Maroons hero forward told his team that they were up against “Blue jerseys” that they just had to run harder at and tackle harder than.
Gillmeister almost missed the decider in Brisbane. He was in hospital on a drip on match eve after his leg got infected. The doctor told Vautin that Gillmeister could contract septicemia and die if he played.
“I spoke to Trev for about 15 minutes and he couldn’t decide what to do,” Vautin recalled.
“I said, ‘if I was you and had a chance to lead Queensland to a 3-0 win and get picked for Australia for the first time I would get up out of that bed and play’.
“He said, ‘you should have said that 15 minutes ago. I am in’. I said the doctor said you could get septicemia and die. He said, ‘Fat, what a place to do it’.”
“I hope that at some stage during the year the players that (Slater) picks get to mingle with these guys because … what they did was incredible,” Vautin added
“We won that series on defence.
“If Billy gets his defence right he has so much talent in that team that they can do whatever they want. Origin is about courage, determination and will.”
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