DON’T GIVE US THE BLUES
Cairns keen to roll out the Maroon carpet, just...
CAIRNS could be forced to enter a regional city tug-of-war to fight for Camp Maroon hosting rights, should an LNP plan to bring State of Origin to Townsville become a reality.
If the LNP is successful at the next election – expected later this year – the plan would bring rugby league’s greatest contest to the Cowboys’ new $250 million home, making it more accessible than ever to Far North footy diehards.
As part of what LNP candidate for Barron River, Michael Trout, described as “the greatest event ever hosted in North Queensland”, Cairns and Mackay would host either state’s pre-game camp.
While a rare chance to see any Origin player train would be a win for fans, both cities would be desperate to have the Maroons squad in their own backyard.
Camp Maroon has been held at the fivestar Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove Resort – which has a rugby league field, gym and pool facilities on site – on the Gold Coast for the past four years. The QRL would be on the lookout for a similar relaxed, resort-style allpurpose venue, should State of Origin come north.
Queensland’s training facilities have been a huge part of their formula for success.
A similarly convenient setup in Cairns would be a key factor to beating Mackay for hosting rights.
The Maroons visited Cairns for three days in the lead-up to Game III, in 2008, which included a skills session at Barlow Park.
But hosting a full-blown camp to 2017 standards may prove difficult.
Mackay would be stiff competition in the race to have Queensland’s stars call their city home, at least for a few days.
By 2020, Mackay will boast a new regional sports precinct, including international-standard gym and pool facilities next to an allpurpose field, something Cairns simply does not have.
Cairns Regional Council has all but ruled out throwing money at Barlow Park for a similar facelift.
Cairns’ best hopes to match our regional rivals would include: Smithfield JCU campus (gym, fields, no pool), North Cairns Sporting Precinct (gym, pool, no field), or CDJRL home ground Jones Park (field, gym, no pool).
Former Queensland State of Origin prop Greg Dowling said the city needed to provide the right facilities whether the Maroons or Blues visited, if everything fell into place for the LNP.
While thrilled at what the hypothetical game could do for “rugby league heartland”, he said there was no obvious existing appropriate all-in-one training facility for elite teams.
“If we want to do this professionally and sell the city, we need this,” Dowling said.
“There’s no place up here like that.”
He said it “won’t take much” should the State Government or Cairns Regional Council commit to upgrading Barlow Park with gym and pool.
“Yeah, they’ve got a great field, but that’s it. But having that running track, it really kills us,” Dowling said.
In a statement, a Cairns Regional Council spokeswoman said no more improvements were on the horizon other than recent light and scoreboard upgrades and upcoming athletics track upgrades in this financial year.
“Barlow Park has strong credentials as a venue for elite level sport including a previous State of Origin training camp, the Rugby World Cup coming in October and annual South Sydney Rabbitohs home games. The Canterbury Bulldogs have also been here for training,” she said.
The Rabbitohs were only in Cairns for two nights during their 2017 visit, which only included a traditionally light captain’s run, while the Bulldogs had an opposed session against the Northern Pride.
“Council has recently completed lighting improvements at Barlow, has just finished upgrading the scoreboard and will refurbish the running track this financial year,” the statement read.