Who is Wally Lewis?
Wally Lewis is a Queensland rugby league legend, nicknamed The King. A brilliant five-eighth, he captained Queensland in State of Origin and Australia during the 1980s.
Born in Brisbane in 1959, Lewis played for Brisbane clubs Valleys and Wynnum-Manly before joining the Brisbane Broncos as their first captain in 1988. He later played for the Gold Coast.
He played in the first State of Origin match in 1980 and went on to play 31 Origin games, 30 of them as captain. He won the Man of the Match award eight times, a record.
Honours
Lewis captained Australia in many Tests and was named one of the Immortals of rugby league in 1999. A statue of him stands outside Suncorp Stadium, known as Lang Park.
The Wally Lewis Medal is awarded to the best player of each State of Origin series.
After retiring, he became a television sports presenter in Brisbane.
Known for his long, accurate passing and calm control of matches, Lewis inspired a generation of Queensland players. His fierce rivalry with New South Wales stars helped turn State of Origin into the national event it is today.
Did You Know?
Lewis was so dominant at Lang Park that he earned the title Emperor of Lang Park.