FOG #13 Rod Morris | Origin Original, Kangaroos Enforcer & Wynnum-Manly Premiership Captain

Rod Morris is FOG #13 — a proud Queenslander, a hard-nosed front-rower and one of the original State of Origin pioneers. A three-time Brisbane Rugby League premiership winner with Easts and Wynnum-Manly, Morris also starred for Balmain in Sydney and became a mainstay of the Australian pack across World Cups and Kangaroo tours.

Born in Ipswich and forged in the old-school era of 80-minute football with no interchanges, Rod played for Queensland before Origin, then returned in 1980 to help launch a new era alongside Arthur Beetson, Wally Lewis, Mal Meninga and Chris Close. He toured with Australia in 1977 and 1978, played 16 Tests, and in 2025 was inducted into the Queensland Sports Hall of Fame alongside his brother Des.

In this episode of the FOGS Queenslander Podcast, Rod reflects on:
• Growing up in Ipswich with “more freedom” and old-school junior footy
• Rising through Ipswich and into a dominant Easts Tigers side in the 1970s
• Playing 80 minutes every week in a brutal Brisbane Rugby League era
• Winning BRL premierships with Easts and captaining Wynnum-Manly to their first title
• The frustration of pre-Origin interstate footy and playing for both Queensland and New South Wales
• Kangaroo tours, club games in England and why players today miss that experience
• Being an Origin original in 1980 and the pressure Queensland felt to “get it right first time”
• Balancing elite footy with running his own business and the parallels between leadership in sport and business

A tough, intelligent front-rower who helped lay the foundations of State of Origin and left a lasting mark on Queensland rugby league.

#FOGS #RodMorris #FOGSQueenslander #StateOfOrigin #QueenslandRugbyLeague #Kangaroos #EastsTigers #WynnumManly #BalmainTigers #QLDER