I Bleed Maroon
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http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/or...e/news-story/002e4875b0a66676bf0540fd55261393
Melbourne is packed full of fairweather mugs? Well chop my legs off and call me Stumps.
The bigger story for mine is the Telecrap continuing its unrelenting hatred of the sport. #talkupthegame indeed.
THE NRL is bracing for a State of Origin black eye at the series opener in Melbourne.
Despite the representative retirements of Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith making the 2018 series completely up for grabs — Melbourne fans are reportedly set to give Origin Game 1 the snub.
The Daily Telegraph reports the NRL is resigned to an embarrassing crowd of just 50,000 turning up at the cavernous MCG when the Maroons and Blues face off on June 6.
The report claims ticket sales for Origin I are yet to break past 20,000 — just 11 days before the big game.
Sales are expected to pick up in the final 10 days with promotions, free give-aways and membership interest expected to push sales past 40,000.
The 100,000 MCG would still appear mostly empty if less than 50,000 fail to turn up.
Pictures of empty sections at the MCG during the biggest game of the year would be a black eye for the NRL’s commitment to taking games outside of New South Wales and Queensland.
The looming Melbourne disaster comes after 91,513 turned up to watch Origin at the MCG in 2015.
Cameron Smith’s reign of dominance is over.Source:AAP
The Daily Telegraph reports Melbourne supporters have turned their back on Origin at the MCG because of a rise in ticket prices, a promise of future Origin matches in Melbourne in 2021 and 2025 and ongoing fan anxiety around the NRL’s referee crackdown which has drastically escalated the rate of penalties in the game.
The 2018 series will also be played without Melbourne favourites Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston.
Only Billy Slater remains of Queensland’s big veteran stars alongside Greg Inglis.
Meanwhile, rumblings about poor form haven’t swayed NSW coach Brad Fittler, who says Boyd Cordner is a guaranteed starter for the Blues in the opening State of Origin clash.
The Roosters second rower and incumbent Blues captain had been criticised by the likes of former NSW coach Phil Gould, who claimed Cordner shouldn’t be picked in the June 6 clash because his game had stagnated.
But on a night where Fittler skirted other selection quandaries for the Melbourne opener, he gave Cordner a thorough endorsement.
“Boyd will be in the team,” Fittler told the Nine Network.
“If I could pen anyone in at the moment barring injury it would be Boyd Cordner. “Obviously Gus (Gould) and I have got a great relationship - he does things in different ways.
Melbourne is packed full of fairweather mugs? Well chop my legs off and call me Stumps.
The bigger story for mine is the Telecrap continuing its unrelenting hatred of the sport. #talkupthegame indeed.