MILF MAN READY TO RUMBLE
MAROONS FANS WILL CHEER THEIR SIDE FROM ALL PARTS
BRONCOS and Queensland coaching legend Wayne Bennett says Brisbane star and Maroons debutant Anthony Milford will terrorise an inexperienced NSW Blues side when the teams meet in tonight’s State of Origin opener. Milford, who was named to replace injured legend Johnathan Thurston in tonight’s game, looked calm as the team trained yesterday ( above). In a classic underestimation of Queensland’s spirit, the Blues will start as favourites to win tonight.
TOWNSVILLE will be a sea of maroon tonight as residents make their loyalties clear ahead of Game One of the 2017 State of Origin series.
Loyal fans will be cheering on their state from the city’s loungerooms, bars and clubs while watching North Queensland Cowboys Michael Morgan and Justin O’Neill represent the region on sport’s biggest stage.
Venues across the city have extra staff rostered on as well as food and drinks ready for an influx of revellers keen to watch the game.
Otto’s marketing manager Renae Summers said the business would play the game on a big screen and would have a variety of street food to purchase in “Otto’s Alley” with tickets available at the door.
“It will be licensed but it’s also going to be really familyfriendly so the whole family is welcome,” she said.
“We’re also giving people a preview of Otto’s upcoming fish market with freshly shucked oysters and prawn skewers.”
The Cowboys Leagues Club is preparing for one of its busiest nights of the year and will play the game on three massive 2.1m TV screens.
Customer relations manager Helen Smyth said the club also usually attracted a number of brave NSW supporters.
“There is always a lot of rivalry,” she said.
“We’re generally booked out when Origin is on and then we also have standing room but we’re expecting pret- ty much every space in the club to be busy.”
The Brewery venue manager Michaela Lloyd said the hotel would have the game broadcast on the big screen and plenty of footy food.
“It’s always a busy night everyone gets into and is pretty rowdy and excited,” she said.
“We’re expecting to get between 80 and 100 people here for the game. We’ll have pulled pork sliders, braised barbecue beef pizza and plum jam chicken wings on offer.”
Intersport Townsville saleswoman Nikki Ball said that, while the business had sold lots of jerseys already, they still had plenty in stock.
“We’ve mostly got Maroons jerseys but we do have a couple of Blues shirts as well,” she said. “We’ve got everything from the shirts that range from $ 80 to $ 90 to the official players’ on- field jersey for $ 189 and the replica jerseys for $ 149.”
WE HAVE STANDING ROOM BUT WE’RE EXPECTING PRETTY MUCH EVERY SPACE … TO BE BUSY COWBOYS LEAGUES CLUB’S HELEN SMYTH