Footy legend Wally Lewis had been left distraught, thinking his iconic first State of Origin jersey had been lost forever.
But in a remarkable twist of fate, the former Queensland star and his wife broke down in tears after finally discovering the jersey hidden in a box of old clothes in a storage container.
The 65-year-old made 38 appearances for the Maroons during his distinguished career, with his debut coming during Queensland’s 20-10 victory against New South Wales at the Suncorp Stadium in July 1980.
Lewis wore the No 8 jersey during that match and started at lock-forward for the Maroons.
Upon realising that he could not find the shirt, Lewis and his wife, Lynda, headed down to a storage unit, where they sifted through bags and bags of items and clothing, according to The Courier Mail.
The former Brisbane Broncos star and his wife began to get nervous, with their search growing longer and longer, but they finally happened on a cardboard box that had the words ‘rent-a-clothes’ printed on it.
Wally Lewis and his wife Lynda broke down in tears after uncovering his debut State of Origin jersey
Lewis and Lynda had found the Maroons jersey from 1980 while rummaging through boxes of old clothes
Inside the box, they found a zip-locked bag, containing a Maroons jersey, with the No 8 on the right sleeve.
The pair were overwhelmed with emotion after finding the prized possession, which Lewis is now set to showcase during Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider.
‘I handed it to him and when he opened it, it had the jersey in it,’ she told The Courier Mail. ‘We both got goosebumps and burst into tears.’
Lewis, meanwhile, spoke of his relief upon finding the shirt.
‘I could see where a little emblem which was once on it had come off and there was a little bit of dirt on the jersey,’ he explained. ‘I was very relieved when I found it.’
It has been 45 years since he wore the jersey at the Suncorp Stadium and he’ll have it with him on Wednesday night, as he and 17 former Queensland stars are set to give Billy Slater’s team a guard of honour.
‘The early call was for all of us to wear our jerseys onto the field in the guard of honour but a few of us said: “You are kidding … have you seen how fat we are?”‘
However, the Maroons great has been very cautious not to lose the shirt again.
Lewis (right) pictured playing for Queensland in 1990, made 38 appearances for the Maroons during his distinguished career
Lewis (right) has flown to Sydney but were not taking any risks with the shirt during their travels with his prized Origin shirt
Lewis and Lynda have since flown to Sydney but were not taking any risks with the shirt during their travels.
Instead of sticking the shirt in a suitcase in the aircraft’s hold, the pair carried it on inside their hand luggage.
It comes as many Aussie sporting greats have sought to store their memorabilia in museums.
Last year, Collingwood paid tribute to their former club legend Nathan Buckley by opening a Nathan Buckley Magpie Legend Exhibition at the AIA Vitality Centre.
A collection of his most-prized accolades and pieces of memorabilia from his distinguished career were added to the collection, including his 2002 Grand Final jersey in which he won the Norm Smith Medal.
Lewis, meanwhile, is also keen to hand over some of his prized possessions and it is understood that the Suncorp Stadium is keen to house some of those items.
On Wednesday, Queensland will be hoping to win back the shield from New South Wales, after levelling the series during their State of Origin II victory in Perth in June.
Cameron Munster returned to the Maroons camp on Tuesday, following the passing of his father, Steven.
Cameron Munster returned to the Maroons camp on Tuesday, following the passing of his father, Steven.
Munster had taken leave from the camp to travel back to see his family on Sunday but is determined to lead the team out during State of Origin III.
‘There was a fair bit of uncertainty with Mun on Sunday morning when I was sitting in his room, but the one thing he was certain about… he was very certain that he was playing on Wednesday night,’ Slater said, heaping praise on the Queensland captain’s bravery.
‘That’s one thing that he was very firm with. He didn’t have a lot of answers for a lot of other things, but he gave that one to me pretty straight.’
Slater, who lost his own father in January, spoke of how Munster was an inspiration for members of the community.
‘Cam’s an inspiration for many people, he’s a hero to many people in Queensland, and I can only imagine his dad would have been his first inspiration and his first hero.
‘He’d be hurting right now and that’s why he needs us, and he needs his family.
‘There’s no textbook for this sort of stuff, you’ve got to be making sure that you’re touching on the human element of it, which we are, and his priority was to be with his family.
‘Now he wants to come back into the camp and get ready for a State of Origin game. It’s a huge game and he wants to be a part of that.’
