NRL All Star Game: What an experience

Plenty of people had their doubts about the NRL All Star concept, devised by Preston Campbell and supported heavily in its infancy by Gold Coast Titans’ CEO, Michael Searle. This is one rugby league fan’s experience, and all I can say is that this was one special night for the game I love.

Regardless of your race, colour or creed, if you love rugby league and the talent within this game, you couldn’t help but love what this concept has done, both on and off the field. Here’s how my night panned out …

– If you could pick any spot to watch this game from, this would be it. 10 rows from the front, right on half way, in a Corporate Area. Anyone within a 50m radius can tell I’m happy to be here to say the least.

– Don’t attempt to make funny jokes with the hostess of your Corporate Box by saying that you would be happy to forge the Signature of the yet-to-arrive box owner. They do not think this is funny.

– When ordering food for a corporate box, unless there are 247 people in your box, order less than we had. We sent platters of food to other boxes who hadn’t been quite so generous with their orders. After several jibes about her thinking that everyone had the same appetite as him, our gracious box owner offered to give me his wife’s number and dared me to call her. I did not take this dare up.

– If you sell merchandise, you need to find out where people like me live, set up a stall, and wait. Build it, and they will come. Needless to say, I carried out my obligatory merchandise mission and finished with an NRL All Star training singlet and hat. ‘That’ll be $80 thank you Sucker..um, I mean Sir….’

– I want to see the Birth Certificates of 90% of the players taking part in the QLD v NSW Indigenous U16’s game. When I was 16, 30 year olds weren’t that big. I hereby accept the mission to find the factory where these enormous child athlete types are being churned out.

– Greg Inglis and Jamal Idris, both injury omissions from the Indigenous All Star side, watched the U16’s game with interest. By the by, while we are on the subject, neither of these two are exactly built like pipe cleaners either. Inglis gave up considerable time for fan photos and autographs. Perhaps there was an element of rebuilding his reputation among the fans, piece by piece, perhaps not. Either way, it was nice to see.

– The pre-game introductions by Ray Warren were a good idea, plain and simple. If they could put Brett Finch’s name on the #1 jersey, why couldn’t they put Jarryd Hayne’s on there, considering, you know … he was playing fullback and all? The newness of the concept meant that the term ‘All Star’ applied a little loosely to some of the participants, but this didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm, least of all mine.

– The pre kick-off war dance was epic, even if it was clear that some of the team hadn’t paid much attention to the Indigenous dancers during rehearsals and looked like they were doing the hokey-pokey. No one could doubt their commitment, or their passion for their people. Another great element to a great concept, and the crowd was pumping!

– Kick off, and the boys have obviously been missing the collision. Big George ‘St Pudding’ Rose took the first hit up and was crunched by Adam Blair … ah, it’s good to have some footy back in our lives, isn’t it? Even Benji Marshall made a tackle in the first set of the game, he hasn’t done that since … actually Benji’s never done that. It’s a history making night!

– Burgess and Watmough are busy in defense early in the game. Speaking of Burgess, it is just me, or is this guy the most NRL-ready import, especially for a prop, we’ve ever seen? I hope he stays healthy, as he is in for one hell of a rookie year at this level. If we could take away his accent, I’d start a rally for nationalisation!

– If Preston Campbell couldn’t be the first try scorer, Wendell Sailor would have to be atop every fan’s wish list. His post try celebration had some of the boys showing much more impressive dance skills.

More on Wendell, I know he has his skeletons in the closet, but to see how he is with fans ALL THE TIME is really something. Not only did he stop and pose for a photo BEFORE HE RAN ONTO THE FIELD at one point, he was literally the last player to leave the field after the game, after having countless photos and signing even more autographs for fans. Who replaces him in that capacity in the NRL?

Feel free to think about that and let me know … I can wait. Regardless of what has happened in his past, specifically with his rugby days, he has morphed into one hell of an ambassador for rugby league. I’m sorry to see his career end.

– The NRL boys struggled to gel or get anything happening in attack as a unit. Jarryd Hayne felt the worst of this. I bet he could feel the naysayers from last year wishing his bubble would burst starting to get ever so louder. Also, I doubt Joel Thompson reads a lot of Jarryd Hayne’s press, he clearly has no respect for the Greatest Player to Ever Grace a Rugby League Field (for the record, this isn’t my personal opinion, I just assumed this was the case after witnessing the love-in for Hayne last season).

– If Israel Folau is fast, and he is, what fuel is in Blake Ferguson? Considering he plays for the Sharks, I’d assume said fuel is syphoned from the tanks of Cronulla fans during matches. Things are tough in The Shire!

– In this company, I don’t think anyone stood out more than Michael Jennings. I’ve been a huge fan for some time, but his acceleration and footwork are the stuff dreams are made of. Shame the dreams of Panthers fans are made of other things, like hoping their coach might, you know, come up with a game plan.

– At quarter time, Indigenous coach, Neil Henry, alludes to a play called ‘Beetson’. Pretty sure this is where you find a guy you play with every week, and injure him a la Beetson on Cronin in Origin 1980. Corey Patterson is a good listener, much to Kurt Gidley’s disgust.

– If you ever wondered as to the commitment to this concept by the players involved, look no further than Nathan Merritt’s disallowed try effort early in the second quarter. Both Meritt’s attempt to get to the line, and Adam Blair’s commitment to the tackle must have made their respective clubs’ hearts skip a beat.

– Some more NRL attack seemingly has the Indigenous boys on the ropes and a try seems imminent. That is until Little Preston Campbell took an intercept and turned on his pace … only to be run down by Hayne, stop (in the middle of the field), and wait for support and wait, and wait, and then it came. I get this concept was his idea, but surely someone can tackle the Little Fella?

– Ben Jones (who can hear the snickering and questions, and it’s insulting to his heritage … My Son’s Mother is African, and he has inherited my pastiness, worse luck) dives over and gives the Indigenous boys a 10-0 lead. The fans are thinking this could be a boilover.

– There is a young boy behind me who is perhaps the most jubilant young fan I have ever seen. He would have made Darryl Eastlake and that guy from the NRMA ad beg him to calm down. Priceless, he was high fiving everyone in sight, and he was all of about 4 years of age. It took its toll on the little tyke, he left just before half time with the rest of the family after throwing his little heart up…right throughout the corporate box he was inhabiting. USHERS! Bring on the mops.

– Travis Waddell is knocked unconscious in a tackle. Trainers are set to let him play on before he mentions that the Raiders are a chance of winning the 2010 NRL Premiership, at which point they escort the Canberra hooker off the field, as he is obviously suffering some serious concussion.

– Josh Morris scores his customary try and gives the NRL boys a sniff. It’s not even fair to call the guy a ‘prolific try scorer’ anymore. I want an inquiry whenever he doesn’t score one!

– The NRL side attempts to score a bonus try, including the famed ‘Wall’ from Parramatta’s glory days, only for Nate Myles to kick the ball, which is forbidden in this new innovation. Clearly Nate was busy defecating in a hall way when the class was given on the bonus try concept.

– The restart goes dead on the full, and the NRL side are starting to enjoy some possession.

– Just when you thought my beloved Tigers’ contribution to the game would be minimal, Robbie Farah beats approximately 45 players before being held up over the line in a dream time miracle from Jharal Yow Yeh. Robbie, next time … GET DOWN LOW AND DIVE FOR THE LINE, TIGER!

– Johnathan Thurston is having one of those games. On watching the reply a couple of times now, Gus Gould makes the point that he is ‘everywhere’, which still doesn’t do it justice. Burgess and Jennings are as close as the NRL All Stars can come up with by comparison, but it’s not even close. I bet there are a few Cowboys fans wishing they could forge his signature on that contract sitting on Peter Parr’s desk.

– Continuing on from Farah’s spoiled chance, Benji Marshall gives life to this little Tiger, after Adam Blair takes a miss kick from the Indigenous side before slipping the ball to Benji, who outpaces Yow Yeh to score. And we have a game!

– That man again, Michael Jennings slices through to score. Just how good is this guy going to be? It’s not even fair … the NRL boys take the lead, but they look nothing like a side that is going to hang on to win just yet.

– So the scene was set. Close game, just one quarter remaining. The Indigenous side seems to have weathered the storm and are slowly starting to look like they have one more try in them … and they do. Who else but Thurston splits two defenders wide out before slipping a sublime around-the-corner ball to give Jamie Soward a 40m run to the line … and his own post try celebration. And the game was iced.

– Thurston was awarded the Preston Campbell medal, well, he would have been if they had come up with the idea of awarding the Preston Campbell medal sooner than THE DAY BEFORE THE GAME (it wouldn’t be an NRL production without an unexplainable gaffe).

-It was announced that both Teams would be doing a lap of honour after the presentation, only the NRL boys covered half the field and took off, leaving the Indigenous lads to spend lord knows how much time posing and signing. This may have irked me considering I was offering $86.50 to anyone with an artline that Benji could use to sign my hat … but I’m not mentioning that.

So this game, to me, was a hell of an experience. I called my wife at half time to say not to book anything for this day … ever, for as long as I live.

But it meant so much more to the Indigenous Community, and I am nowhere near educated enough to go into the meaning to the players and their people. I will, however, quote a young Indigenous man, who joined me on my walk to my hotel, who said that whilst his family had explained the meaning of this day, Kevin Rudd’s actions two years ago, and how if affected so many of his people, he found it hard to relate.

What he could relate to, on a personal level, was seeing the NRL’s sublime talent representing him and his extended family on such a scale, in such a match, and that was something he would never, ever forget.

Neither will I.

So, whilst I know that Locky and Gidley have taken injuries out of the game. I know the timing isn’t perfect, but how can you argue with the good this game has done? The players loved the concept, even Lockyer, nursing his injured bicep, sang the match’s praises. Let’s hope that common sense prevails and this game stays around for the long haul. It has filled a void, and given a people some extra voice, hope, and bragging rights for at another year.

Now, can we have the footy back, please?