Blockbuster set to be sellout
By Dean Ritchie
April 11, 2006
NEWCASTLE'S blockbuster against North Queensland at EnergyAustralia Stadium this Sunday is the most anticipated club match in history after a staggering 20,000 tickets were sold yesterday - still six days before the game.
Never before has as many tickets been sold for a club game so far out from kick-off.
"We're on a roll, they're on a roll," summed up champion Knights halfback Andrew Johns as the Newcastle faithful queued outside the club's stadium all day yesterday.
The Easter Sunday game will be sold out today or early tomorrow.
Knights fans are hoping to see the mercurial Johns lead their team back to the top of the table.
The match-up between Johns and North Queensland five-eighth Johnathan Thurston will be the best individual clash of the season.
And the game will also be special for Johns, who will break Tony Butterfield's record of 229 first-grade matches for Newcastle.
"It's looming as one of the great matches of the season so far," Johns said. "The anticipation here in Newcastle is enormous."
Season ticketholders have snapped up tickets while all corporate boxes are sold out. Just 6000 tickets remain unsold.
Johns' manager John Fordham said "Joey" was excited at the prospect of becoming Newcastle's most capped player.
"On a personal note, Joey is looking forward to playing against a team with so many exciting players like Thurston and Matt Bowen," Fordham said. "But Newcastle also have their share of exciting players like Milton Thaiday and Brian Carney."
The last club match to have such a build-up was Bulldogs v Parramatta at Sydney Showground in 2001.
Cowboys coach Graham Murray said his players were looking forward to playing in front of a hostile 26,000 crowd.
"The expectation is this will be a great game," Murray said.
"North Queensland have come a long way since opposition teams wanted to take us to Gosford to play [their home] games.
"The atmosphere will be outstanding."
North Queensland remains unbeaten this season and is premiership favourite, while Newcastle have been highly impressive whenever Johns has been on the field.
The Knights belted St George Illawarra 54-6 last Saturday night in Wollongong with Johns calling the shots. However, they were beaten at home by the Warriors when he sat out the game.
NRL chief executive David Gallop said league fans were counting down to Sunday's game.
"It's unbelievable the anticipation around this match," Gallop said.
"Thurston versus Johns ... it doesn't get any better than that for rugby league fans. And Thaiday up against Matt Bowen will also be spectacular.
"It is amazing to think Newcastle collected the wooden spoon last year."
ST GEORGE Illawarra halfback Mathew Head has declared himself ready for a return to the top grade as the Dragons look to rebound from their horror loss to Newcastle.
Head turned out for the club's Premier League side in the curtain-raiser at WIN Stadium on Saturday night for his first game of footy in over 10 months following a knee reconstruction.
The Daily Telegraph
