It’s not often you watch your team cop a loss and can call it a win, but being at the footy in the flesh on Saturday night was a victory the likes of which I can’t recall ever having in my life.
Of all my vices, gambling just doesn’t feature, so I can’t complain too loud about never winning much – if you haven’t bought a ticket, you’re probably not going to get paid out on the lotto jackpot.
But a fortnight ago I pledged my 2020 membership fees to the Newcastle Knights. I was aware that made me eligible to possibly, maybe, hopefully but probably not be in the crowd at a very responsible, socially distanced game of footy, but I figured I’d be among the other 10,000 or so who got through the gates after 1 July.
Then on Friday morning my phone started blowing up. Turns out I’d been drawn out of the proverbial hat as one of the 50 Knights members allowed to bring a plus one and be at the game against the Storm at our ‘home’ venue of Central Coast Stadium.
Deadset, it was the first win I’d had in a raffle since getting a choccy egg at the St Joseph’s Merewether Easter draw in 1992.
So no, unfortunately my weekly offering here on The Roar wasn’t enough to get me a pass to the footy – my journalistic cred doesn’t get me there. But I was there.
Knights fans at Central Coast Stadium (Photo: Joe Frost)
And it was weird.
Don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome evening – if you have a bad time in a corporate box on the halfway line with free food and drinks all night, you’re living differently to me. But the atmosphere in a game of footy with around 100 people in attendance is something you’ve got to experience to believe.
When there are thousands of people turning up the volume, even if it’s just general hubbub, you’re not going to hear the specifics of the on-field noise. That’s not the case in a largely empty stadium.
The first thing that was apparent was the sheer ferocity of the contact. With 15,000-plus screaming fans in attendance, you can be excused for not appreciating the impact made when a human being of Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s size goes slamming into Dan Saifiti and Dave Klemmer.
But bloody hell, when the venue is empty, you just hear the thwack of it all. It really is a collision – rather than contact – sport.
The other thing that was odd was that there’s nowhere to hide for the crowd. A bit of noise gets piped through on the broadcast, but you’ll have no such sound in the venue, so your every comment is heard on the field.
Like, you see people and players registering your banter.
One of the better ones was legendary Roarer and Andrew Johns statue enthusiast Karlo Tychsen having a bit of chat to Cameron Smith as the Melbourne skipper lined up for a conversion on the eastern side of the park.
Karlo mentioned to Cam that he’s looking a little thinner on top these days. As Karlo put it, “He heard me. Pointed, applauded, fucking nailed it”.
Yep, Cam nailed pretty much everything on Saturday night.
I was interested that when the ref calls ‘six again’ off a ruck infringement, the ‘ding ding’ sound effect isn’t a TV introduction – it’s heard loud and clear on the ground. I suppose since the ref doesn’t blow the whistle for those calls, there needs to be a way of communicating to all the players that there’s been a significant change in the set.
The intimacy of the crowd had an interesting effect on the officiating too.
There was another moment when a Knights fan – can you believe we, the fans of the losing team were none too impressed with the refereeing of Ben Cummins? – yelled to touch judge Gavin Badger, “Hey Badge, think it’s time you took the whistle off Ben!”
Badger turned, looked up to the irate fan and gave him a big ol’ cheeky grin.
It was a level of intimacy that, frankly, I didn’t want because I honestly believe it worked against the home side.
When you’ve got a huge faceless mass of people booing a decision I reckon the ref subconsciously has a think the next time he has to make another call against the home side.
But when there are so few people in the venue the ref can hear you fart, I suspect abuse coming from the home fans works against their team – because the ref hears every word screamed in his direction and probably thinks (again, subconsciously), “Fuck you!”
The real kicker, though? Going to the bathroom was a bloody delight – and no-one in history has ever said that after attending a game of footy!
Social distanced toilets (Photo: Joe Frost)
Tough school for the Knights, but they’ll be better for the loss. And other than the fact my team copped a beat down, I’d put it up there with one of the best sporting experiences of my life.
Even if the whole thing was just a bit weird.
Herewegoagain
Guest
You two are like a cuppla babies throwing sand at each other in a sandpit :laughing:
Stormy
Roar Rookie
Thanks Joe, great piece. I, too, pledged my membership, to my club, who offered the same deal. It certainly wasn't my reason for the pledge, by, it was a nice dream. You experienced something very few of us will & have given us a wonderful snapshot of it all. I had no idea that players, refs etc. would be able to hear remarks, good & bad . You've been so lucky. I hope you appreciate what you've had & that you have keep a hard copy of your post to look back on.
Nat
Roar Guru
You're looking for bad faith Joe. Look, if the primary reason you commented is because you took offence at my questioning your membership,. I didn't mean to question your membership legitimacy, I will retract that comment. I applaud everyone who joined and stayed on as member this year. With all due respect, I was questioning the timing being 3 months since the season started. I'm not sure you understand what strawman arguement means Joe. I didn't put words in your mouth, it was a direct quotation - proven wrong. You wrote NSWRL because you don't know or acknowledge anything else. If you want to be pedantic, NSWRL has as much in common with the NRL as the QRL. BRL is simply a division under the QRL which formed in 1908. In fact the Broncos have the same relationship with NSWRL as the Knights do, seeing as they were both introduced in the same year. Finally, we got this far because you've accused be of being negative "all of them". I acknowledged this oen straight away but you've taken comments on the same thread as your only example. I've just counted 15 x 2020 articles of your where I haven't been negative at all. The last one was were you blamed the players for not knowing the details of their TPA (but I've said my piece on that). Like I said above, you make a broad statement without anthing top back it, I will call you on it. If I do, you are free to do the same - I encourage it.
Joe Frost
Editor
Mate, I highlighted three examples and you tried to defend one – and you don't even seem to realise the one you're defending is you trying to put words in my mouth, rather than critically engage with the issue. I set the parameters of last week's discussion in the third paragraph, with the words "Since the NSWRL started in 1908..." To then take the words "history of rugby league in Australia" to mean every single game of rugby league that's ever been played – rather than the history of the NRL, which has never had a shared history with the BRL – is a strawman argument. Which is a sure-fire sign of someone who's not here to engage with the issues, they just want an argument. It was a piece, backed up with research and data, that argued the Broncos won't win the comp this year. You didn't engage with that issue, you tried to find a way to argue a definition. Also, "you are contradicting a fan who hangs his hat on winning the reserve grade comp in 97" isn't engaging with the issue at all, it's pettiness – and it's a hallmark of the comments I've highlighted. As for this week, I've written a piece about going to a game of football, backed up with the evidence of me, y'know, having gone to the football (there's even photographic proof). Your response was to try delegitimise my membership. That's not engaging with the issue, it's just being small. Look, fair play, you got an argument out of me today. But I think we're done here. If you continue to comment in bad faith, yes, you'll be moderated. If you try being decent, I'm sure you'll get a lot more out of this site.
Soda
Roar Rookie
Hey Joe, that must have been a weird but priceless experience. It's evident that you felt privileged to be apart of it. I enjoyed the read and I'm glad you took the time to document it in this piece. So much of what is happening at the moment is so bloody strange and I think once normality returns the our memories of this moment will fade fast.
Nat
Roar Guru
Not at all mate. I'm negative towards negative. Your limited experience on this site may just be my interactions with RU or AFL boys who only want to throw stones at the NRL. I will throw them right back but I don't go to another code's thread to do so. Is that not fair enough?
The Late News
Roar Rookie
I am sure it's hard to resist but leave the negative guys alone! this guy seems so bad it's like anti matter!
Nick
Roar Guru
Good read Joe - you lucky duck! Thanks for posting it. The articles by others on the news websites didn't really capture the experience from the view of the fan. I'm so jealous. I've been basically stuck in my apartment in Sing for nearly 80 days now...I'd take even being able to watch the footy at Boomerang with a pint in hand to be as good as being at the ground.
Nat
Roar Guru
Are you going to Mod me now? :laughing: :thumbup:
Nat
Roar Guru
Yes, 100%. If you make broad, outlandish statements with no supportive evidence absolutely I’ll reply and I expect the same in return. That’s the point of an opinion site. You raise last week, am I wrong? Or are you wrong when you wrote: “if you want to argue the point but it’s been proven true for the entire history of rugby league in Australia. You’re not going to win” and when Matth highlights that it is not a fact, you changed the goal posts to NSWRL – which I predicted “if it doesn’t include NSWRL it didn’t happen”. That happened Joe. So, that’s one (albeit vague) from this year. Show me anymore from this year that constitutes “all”. It would appear you just don’t like being challenged, therefore, take personal insult when I disagree.
Joe Frost
Editor
Is it my continued lack of effort that has you coming back to read week after week? Or do you only disagree with an opinion if you don't feel there has been requisite effort? And was "Is your membership based on how the teams starts the year?" aimed at stimulating discussion? What about last week's commets: "Ohhhh, that’s cute. A Knights fan, who hasn’t seen finals footy in 7 years, telling others who will/won’t win." Or: "Watch the excuses come now. Although you are contradicting a fan who hangs his hat on winning the reserve grade comp in 97 so if it doesn’t include NSWRL it didn’t happen." (FYI, you got a total of one 'like' for those three comments – a big hit with the crowd.) I'm all for critical debate but you're not providing that, you're being argumentative and condescending. Want to offer a difference of opinion, go nuts. But if you can't manage a bit of decency in your comments, take them somewhere else.
Nat
Roar Guru
All of them Joe? On the contrary, you'll find when you put some effort into your pieces I sing along quite amicably. In fact, it's June and I've only been critical once this year (but not harsh) and the 'likes' are a fair indication that I'm not the only one thinking that way. You offer your opinion and I offer mine, if you believe I'm wrong, tell me where. It's a different POV trying to stimulate discussion not a fight.
Joe Frost
Editor
The Knights membership team asked for pledges two weeks ago and I pledged the day I got the email. I'm a member of the club that won three straight spoons – as you enjoyed pointing out in my previous piece, about the Broncos – so no, how the team starts the year doesn't determine whether I pay my dues each season. Finally, Nat, I clock your comments and they're all negative. All of them. You're just itching for a fight. Do me a favour, stop reading my pieces since they seem to make you so angry.
Nat
Roar Guru
You just pledged your membership and got the call up? There will be some rusted-ons filthy with you Joe. Is your membership based on how the teams starts the year?
Paul
Roar Guru
real good stuff, Joe. I was worried the players wouldn't be ripping into each other with no crowds. Though the TV pictures suggested they were, it's nice to read about what you both saw & heard.
brookvalesouth
Roar Rookie
Great read!