FORMER NSW enforcer Les Boyd has lifted the lid on his infamous clash with Darryl Brohman, making the staggering claim Australian selectors instructed him to bash the Maroons to keep them out of the Test team.
Speaking exclusively with The Sunday Mail, Boyd ended a 24-year secret by revealing NSW selectors on the national panel gave him their blessing to "do what it takes" to ensure the Blues dominated the Australian side.
The private exchange occurred just moments before Boyd ran out for the 1983 series opener, which ended in controversy when the Blues hardman smashed Maroons prop Brohman's jaw with a raised elbow.
Boyd copped a 12-month ban for the act – but until now has never offered a full explanation for his behaviour.
The former Test back-rower claims he was given permission to commit acts of foul play by Test selectors Ernie Hammerton, Les "Chicka" Cowie and Peter McLean, all of whom have since passed away.
The fourth Test selector and only Queenslander on the national panel, Ipswich-based Dud Beattie, was allegedly left out of the pre-match address.
"They (Test selectors) were involved, very much so. Before the game the Test selectors pulled me aside and said: 'Do what it takes, we don't care if you kill someone, we just don't want these f****** Queenslanders in our team," Boyd revealed.
"My teammates who played in that game heard them say it to me.
"At that time there weren't many Queenslanders in the team and State of Origin was starting to gain momentum. The selectors were driven to get as many NSW players as they could into the Australian squad.
"When the (Brohman) incident happened, it was amazing how they went running and hiding.
"Not one of them supported me at all. To be honest, I didn't expect them to come out. The only selector who ever said anything to me after it was 'Dolly' McLean.
"He said, 'Thank Christ you never said anything about what we said'. The others never once raised it again."
The revelation is eerily similar to that made by former NSW enforcer Mark Geyer, who claims Test selectors gave him identical instructions before the second game of the 1991 series, when he waged a one-man war against Wally Lewis's Queenslanders.
Geyer was subsequently suspended as well and later claimed he was abandoned by the selectors after the game and left to fend for himself. He never played for NSW again.
Boyd says he was compelled to speak out after being reunited with Brohman at a function in Brisbane last Wednesday, just hours before Origin III.
As a result of the incident, Brohman successfully sued Boyd, who settled out of court for an estimated $35,000.
Despite the bitter feud, Boyd insists he did not deliberately target Brohman, who was considered a certainty for Test selection.
"I still maintain my elbow on Brohman was not deliberate," he said. "If I wanted to do it on purpose, I would have gone for Gene Miles or Wally Lewis, I wouldn't have nailed poor Darryl Brohman.
"He was a better asset on the field than off it. That was one of the best indicators it was an accident, that it happened to him.
"I've never really spoken about it before but the NSW players knew what I'd been told. I guess I'm telling the truth now because I ran into Darryl the other day."
Asked to describe their meeting last week, Boyd said: "I think he was sh****** himself. No doubt he's embarrassed by what happened. I admit what I did was not right but I apologised to the bloke during the game and again after the game, but he took it to the courts and sued me. That's life."
Brohman said: "Things were very frosty the other day. I've gone out of my way over the years to try and have a chat to him and be as amicable as I can, but he's not interested. Apparently Les was given carte blanche to do what he wanted. So be it. It was a long time ago and I've moved on. He means nothing in my life."
League historian David Middleton said Boyd's actions did little to sway votes at the selection table.
"Eight Queenslanders ended up making the Test team against the Kiwis four days after that Origin game," Middleton said.
