Broncos in high life jet charter

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 1300 SMILES 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.

The theory is the players will get a headstart on their preparations for the first week of the NRL finals.

“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 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 the usual travel contribution.

The Broncos organised a similar trip for supporters to Auckland last year, which coincided with a terrible draw schedule and short turnarounds for the team during State of Origin.

“We’ve worked with the NRL to come up with this transport solution,” White said.

While Brisbane have secured a top- four finish, a win against the Cowboys would give them hope of finishing second and nabbing a home final in the first week.