Wayne plane all set for take-off
ALL aboard the Wayne Plane. The Broncos will jet into Townsville today on a private charter flight they hope will give them a crucial advantage in the battle for the NRL premiership.
Brisbane will clash with North Queensland at 1300SMILES Stadium tomorrow night in what is shaping up to be another explosive derby.
The Broncos will head straight to the airport after the game and fly back to Brisbane so they can slip into their own beds before 2am instead of staying in a hotel and heading home on Friday.
The theory is the players will get a headstart on their preparations for the first week of the NRL finals in which the Broncos are likely to play an away game.
“This time of year we are really mindful (of the players’ preparation),” Broncos chief executive Paul White said.
“The ability to get them back on the night of the game will hopefully give us a real benefit in terms of rehab and preparation for the first week of the finals.”
In a piece of shrewd planning, Broncos commercial staff have booked 70 corporate supporters to travel with Wayne Bennett’s team to offset the cost of what could have been a $50,000 trip.
The NRL pays for team travel – usually 18 players plus support staff – and the Broncos have negotiated with the league to make their usual travel contribution.
The Broncos organised a similar trip to Auckland last year, which coincided with a terrible schedule and short turnarounds for the team during State of Origin.
“We’ve worked with the NRL to come up with this solution,” White said.