Culture

Gladys Berejiklian Was The Real Winner Of The First Game Of The State Of Origin

The awkward gift that keeps on giving.

by Junkee  10 June 2021
gladys berejiklian memes state of origin

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Late yesterday afternoon, ahead of the first round of the State of Origin, a photo of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian set the internet alight.

In the image, Gladys stood — back to the camera — dressed in a NSW Blues scarf and beanie, holding an unopened (why?) can of Coke Zero. Almost immediately, she received the roasting of a lifetime on Twitter, where people questioned everything from her drink of choice, TV placement, to the fact that the game was still four entire hours from starting.

While some internet jokes are over and done with in a matter of hours, Gladys waiting to watch the State of Origin lived through the duration game and beyond, spawning a series of memes, each somehow funnier than the last.

The NSW Blues ended up winning the game against Queensland 50-6, but I think we can all agree the real winner of the night was whoever made the Photoshop template that allowed so many people to take Gladys’ image and run.

On what would have normally been a regular and uneventful night for people who don’t tune into the State of Origin, Gladys provided a brief moment of joy — and for that, we have to thank her.

Here’s hoping she eventually cracked open that cold one, and enjoyed the game… when it eventually started.