Northern exposure: First Origin game confirmed for Townsville
Townsville will be the venue for this year’s State of Origin opener on June 9 after the NRL opted to move the event from COVID-hit Melbourne.
The north Queensland city’s Country Bank Stadium beat other contenders BankWest Stadium in Parramatta and GIO Stadium in Canberra.
The Queensland Government has revealed 10 B-double trucks will take temporary grandstands to the stadium, boosting its capacity from from 25,455 seats to 27,327.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it would turn the stadium into a “mini-Cauldron”.
“Our prayers have been answered,” the Premier said of the game’s move to Townsville.
“To bring the game we love to the fans who love it most in their own stadium is truly special.”
The Government began negotiations with the NRL last week to move the match from Melbourne after Victoria announced a lockdown to deal with its latest COVID-19 outbreak.
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Palaszczuk said giant screens would be erected in Townsville’s Flinders Street to cope with the overflow with bands and entertainment for the entire family.
The decision will mean Queensland will host two of the three-match series for the first time in four years.
Before the shift was confirmed, some members of the Blues side had begun to digest the thought of playing the first two games of the series in enemy territory.
Forward Tariq Sims made his NRL debut for the Cowboys and left at the end of 2014, a good four years before he pulled on a Blues jersey.
And still he felt the heat from the Maroons-crazed locals.
“They’re mad. They’re mad as cut snakes for football in North Queensland,” Sims said.
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“That’s one of those things that I admired about them actually.
“It’s how much rugby league is a religion to them… Playing in front of some pretty passionate fans up there… that will be interesting.”
It was a mere formality that the opening match of the series won’t be played at the MCG as originally planned as Victoria deals with its latest COVID-19 outbreak.
It’ll be the first time since 2017 that either NSW or Queensland has hosted two matches of the series, but the first time since 1982 a state has hosted the opening two games.
In both cases Brisbane was the host city.
Adding to the Blues’ worries is their poor record in Queensland, winning just 19 of 59 games in the state, including just two of the past 14.
Blues forward Jake Trbojevic at first embraced the idea of Townsville before realising the opening two games would be in enemy territory.
“That would be tough now you put it like that. I didn’t think about that,” he said.
“I obviously just want to play and play wherever, but that would be tough.
“But Origin itself is a challenge. You just have to find a way to get it done.”
A Townsville game would be a big boost for Queensland but coach Paul Green is not getting carried away in the lead-up to his maiden Origin match in charge.
“It is good to have the home crowd on your side; it creates an atmosphere but it doesn’t put points on the board for you,” he said on Monday.
“It’d be enormous for Townsville but they don’t make the tackles for you or score the tries.”
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