Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Sport
Joel Gould

RARE PHOTOS: Close encounters of the choppy kind give maroons belief | Rare Historical Photos

Qld will aim to retain the women's Origin shield, with a Maroons legend giving them inspiration. (Brendon Thorne/AAP PHOTOS)

When Queensland forward Tazmin Rapana "flipped the bird" at the NSW crowd after scoring a try in last year's State of Origin series, it was also a one-fingered salute to Maroons legend Chris Close.

Close, known universally as "Choppy", played in the inaugural men's Origin game in 1980 and was man of the match in a 20-10 win.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.