Heartland: How Rugby League Explains Queensland

by Joe Gorman

For more than 40 years, rugby league has embodied all the hopes and dreams, contradictions and tensions of life in the Sunshine State. The game speaks to Queenslanders' sense of being the underdog and the outsider – a powerful undercurrent that sweeps through politics, business, the arts, and sport. The enduring appeal of State of Origin is that it allows Queensland to balance the scales, at least for 80 minutes.In Heartland, journalist Joe Gorman chronicles a tale of loss and rebirth – from the decline of the Brisbane Rugby League competition and North Queensland's Foley Shield to the extraordinary rise of the Broncos and the Cowboys in the NRL. Weaving together stories of diehard supporters and game-changing players, from Arthur Beetson to Johnathan Thurston, this is a revealing account of Queensland's coming of age, both on and off the field.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2019

Reviews

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took a few months after purchasing the Kindle version to start reading but once I “opened the book”, I couldn’t “put it down”. The author wrote at the beginning that the book is less about the history of rugby league in Queensland but how the sport impacted and reflected the state, especially the last 40 years with the State of Origin series against New South Wales. With that, I learned a lot more about Queensland in general than rugby league from this book. Hope to visit the state the next time I travel to Australia.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book was just a chronicle of rugby events and people, which was disappointing. The second half started to make connections to indigenous affairs but it never really brought all of Queensland to light.

It spoke a little on communities but never really gave the full connection to gender, multi-racial, and the ruralisation of Queensland (it did touch on it).

It won an award for contribution to the state which I can see why, but that doesn’t in my view make it a great book. Saying that, I am still exploring books on Queensland as on honesty right now there are not many!

[Henry Stoop]

Gorman casts an enjoyably niche lens over the great state, I hadn’t considered the way artistic flight paralleled the vacuum of the NSWRL in the 80s. Had a proud response to how inclusive Gorman demonstrates QLDRL has been for indigenous players. Pity about the years not covered 2015-now but that’s outside of the scope of the book so 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Paul Circosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed account of the history of Rugby League's State of Origin competiton. You would have probably have had to live in Queensland to understand that it wasn't just a competition but a way of Queensland earning respect from the southern state.

[Robert McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for all Queenslanders and rugby league fans. Provides an excellent picture of the state of rugby league in Queensland before the takeover by the NSWRL.