NRL deal with NT paying off
NT News
November 25, 2016 1:30am
THE relationship between the Northern Territory and the NRL has hit fever pitch with the announcement that 2015 premiers the North Queensland Cowboys are headed to Darwin next June.
What a coup!
For fans of the sport, it doesn’t get much more exciting than the possibility of megastars like Johnathan Thurston and last year’s Dally M winner Jason Taumalolo travelling up to tackle the heat and strut their stuff on field in the tropics for a mid-season primetime clash against the Eels.
On top off this, a trial match to be played in Alice Springs between the locally dubbed ‘Territory Eels’ and the Gold Coast Titans will roll out equally big drawcard, Jarryd ‘The Hayne Train/Plane’ Hayne, to enliven those league-lovin’ Red Centre crowds in February. Hayne’s jetsetting adventures to the NFL in the US last year proved to lift his profile into the realm of national curiosity, despite his lacklustre first appearances on field and his ensuing and inevitable return to Australia and the rugby league.
Whatever the case, Hayne Plane, we’re happy to have you here.
The NT Government’s continued dealings with and ongoing sponsorship of the Parramatta Eels is obviously starting to pay off if it means such primetime matches — featuring prodigious teams and players — can make their way north.
While the Eels may have had a shaky season last year, with a seemingly unending chain of scandals — from off-field incidents to salary cap breaches — all will be forgiven if they deliver fans a top show in the Territory.
On the other side of the coin, it is now up to Territorians to get behind the blockbuster matches and come out in droves, to make sure the NRL continues to consider it worthwhile bringing big matches up here into the future.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/opini...f/news-story/87b036d613fd050ca20d6c68187cf66c