The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Why Blues fans should feel sorry for Queenslanders

3rd July, 2012
Advertisement
Roar Pro
3rd July, 2012
20
1227 Reads

Conventional wisdom suggests it is Queenslanders who should feel sorry for New South Welsh-folk leading into this week’s Origin decider. After all Queensland are looking down the barrel of an obscene seventh straight win.

Should they lose they can still rest assured knowing that their record of six straight wins is twice as many as New South Wales has ever achieved.

However I challenge you to look a little deeper into this issue. Let’s do an impromptu anthropological study of this situation and see what’s really happening…

Queensland will be one hundred percent behind their side on Wednesday night – there is no doubting the passion of the Maroons fans and they will be out in force at Suncorp.

But why?

Because in Queensland, outside of the success of the Maroons, there is simply nothing else to feel superior and proud about. But wait – before you start flaming me, let’s look at the facts…

Firstly, should New South Wales lose on Wednesday night there will be some grumbling and grizzling for sure (most of it in the pages of the Daily Telegraph) but by the weekend most of us will have shrugged and gotten over it. After all, New South Wales is still the most important state in Australia.

It is the seat of power (oh wait – let’s continue to pretend Canberra isn’t really in NSW) the heart of the economy and of culture and of sport. Sport you hear Queenslanders cry? Yes sport. After all in a couple of weeks, London will attempt to emulate the success of the Sydney Olympics.

Advertisement

And no doubt a NSW team will play the grand final this year (odds are pretty good it’ll be the Bulldogs). The Socceroos will play a few games in Sydney, most of the NRL season will be in Sydney – even the AFL considers Sydney so important they are investing copious amounts of time and money in setting up a second team there.

However, should the Maroons lose on Wednesday what can Queenslanders comfort themselves with? Yes they have a beautiful State – I mean the few parts that aren’t barren desert or open cut mines…

There are beaches of course. But you can’t swim at them because there are jellyfish that will kill you. Swim in the rivers you say? Sure…if you like being crocodile bait.

What about the Gold Coast? Ahhh good point… excellent beaches, Australia’s centre of tourism, so many attractive features. But let’s be honest, it’s practically in New South Wales.

They do have the natural wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, but its hard for Queenslanders to take pride in that when they didn’t build it. The Barrier Reef was built by coral (and quite possibly coral that migrated north from NSW).

They do have some other sports teams of course. They have some union team that won some competition no one watches last year and maybe a netball or basketball team? I don’t know… does anyone?

The point is, a Maroons loss would be followed by a devastating loss of identity in Queensland. Their self worth, their reason for living, their very reason for existing at all is tied up with this team.

Advertisement

I shudder at the thought.

Whereas New South Wales would shed a few tears, shrug and get on with the job of being better. After all we’ve been doing it for over 200 years.

Besides, we all know that if we lose it’s because of the carbon tax.

close