Coach Mal Meninga says aliens will deliver the pre-game pep talk to his players before Wednesday night’s first State of Origin clash at ANZ Stadium.
The record-breaking Queensland coach jokingly responded to a newspaper article quoting his halfback Cooper Cronk describing the outer-body experience he had just before kicking last year’s series-winning field goal.
The Melbourne star claimed he slipped into a “state of grace” with no noises in his head as he kicked his 75th minute match-winner.
“I began to realise when we are being completely free of our own expectation, the body extends into its own natural form, without impediment and things happen,” said Cronk.
Meninga couldn’t help himself on Monday when asked by a journalist about Cronk’s comments and how he communicated with a player clearly on a different level to most.
“Different planet you’re talking about,” laughed Meninga during his dual press conference with NSW rookie coach Laurie Daley at Sydney’s Rugby League Central headquarters.
“I’ve heard for the pre-game entertainment a UFO will fly down into the middle of ANZ Stadium with a few people, I’m not sure, with aliens coming out of the ship and into the Queensland dressing room to give a motivational speech before jumping back on their UFO and flying back to … I think it’s Mars they come from.”
A relaxed Meninga even embraced the song which takes pot shots at Queensland players born outside the state, adding his own variation: “Mars … that’s in Queensland”.
“There’s some really good athletes up there apparently so beware, we might throw a few on the bench,” he said.