How an Stuart Diver’s incredible survival story was one of the biggest stories of the 1990s helped the Blues score an Origin win for the ages

The New South Wales Blues marched into Suncorp and left Queensland with the State of Origin shield on Wednesday.

Their loss against the Maroons in Origin II, seemingly left them with little chance at  victory at a stadium where they had not seen success for 19 years.

It was an inspired effort from Laurie Daley’s side as they were the better team in every facet of the game from the opening minute.

And they found inspiration from Stuart Diver’s incredible Thredbo landslide survival ahead of the game.

Diver became a household name in 1997 after being rescued from under 3500 tons of rubble that crushed his accommodation at the ski resort.

The then 27-year-old ski instructor was trapped for 65 hours in sub-zero temperatures following the landslide, which killed all 18 other ski lodge guests, including his wife Sally.

Stuart Diver was invited to speak with the New South Wales team ahead of State of Origin III

Diver was a key source of inspiration for Laurie Daley’s side as they claimed the series win

A contemporary news report called Diver’s rescue ‘the miracle that few, if any, truly expected’.

With that first-hand experience of resilience in mind, coach Laurie Daley invited Diver to meet with the Blues on the first day of camp for Origin I.

Diver is an fan of NRL side Melbourne and a friend of NSW assistant coach Matt King, whom he met through an old schoolmate.

‘I went up just as they got into camp on day one, had a little bit of chat and it sort of went from there,’ Diver told AAP.

After their capitulation in the 2025 Origin series, the Blues were considered underdogs in 2026, especially after a 44-24 loss in game two.

Diver’s speech set the tone for a series of overcoming the odds, culminating in a shock 30-12 win in Wednesday’s decider at Suncorp Stadium.

NSW, flush with top-tier talent, were always going to be physically competitive, but the mental approach to the game was where Diver came in.

‘Everyone can have the skill, everyone can train, and everyone can do all of that sort of stuff and they’re all elite athletes,’ Diver said.

‘But it’s just, how do you get that next little bit out of what they do?

‘We tried to set that tone of believing you can get through anything. You end up with results like this.’

Daley could see Diver’s story resonating with his players.

‘(He addressed) a lot of the things that we spoke about as a team, what you need to do under pressure, maximum pressure,’ Daley told AAP.

‘He just spoke about the things that go through your mind in that situation. It’s inspiring. He’s a special bloke.’

Diver reunited with the Blues on game day for Origin III, spending one-on-one time with Daley before kick-off and joining post-match celebrations.

Even Diver was impressed by the Blues’ ability to withstand pressure and come away victorious.

‘It’s just awesome to be here and learn about what Laurie does and what all of the coaching team does,’ he said.

‘It’s pretty special to be part of that for me and to be in the rooms prior to the match is something that I won’t forget.

‘To win in Queensland like that is pretty amazing.’