NRL season 2018 kick-off: Record crowds tipped as footy fever grips fans

THE NRL is preparing for record crowds to launch the most open, fascinating and difficult-to-predict season in recent memory, with more than 150,000 league-starved supporters preparing to roll through the turnstiles in round one.

Record crowds are tipped for the NRL’s 2018 season kick-off.

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FINALLY, Billy Slater has shown that just maybe, he’s just like us.

“I still get goosebumps when I hear Rabs’ (commentator Ray Warren) voice,’’ the champion fullback says.

“Honestly, watching the footage to pump up the season ahead, the music behind it, it still gets me going. I’m the kid who loves playing footy. It can’t start quick enough.’’

And clearly, we all agree.

The NRL is preparing for record crowds to launch the most open, fascinating and difficult-to-predict season in recent memory, with more than 150,000 league-starved supporters preparing to roll through the turnstiles in round one.

Melbourne's Billy Slater is excited. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The Saturday Telegraph has spoken to every NRL club and stadium scheduled to host the opening round and bumper crowds is the collective forecast.

While the AFL continues to prove that the NRL still has much work to do to rival their religious-like fanaticism — with a combined attendance figure of 400,000 expected to show up to the AFL’s opening round weekend — there’s no denying league fans are salivating to get their footy fix.

Just some of the records on the verge of being smashed during NRL round one are:

● The largest crowd to a rugby league match in Perth in history

● The Cowboys’ biggest home crowd against Cronulla since 1996

● The Knights’ biggest home crowd since 2015

● Panthers-Eels’ biggest crowd at Penrith since 2010.

Ironically, the NRL’s first match of the 2018 season; St George-Illawarra and Brisbane at Kogarah, could be one of the two lowest-drawing crowds of the first round.

The Dragons and Broncos look to be the odd men out. Picture: AAP

Suggesting that the NRL have blundered their scheduling to launch the season in the suburbs with one interstate team, only 13,000 fans are expected to witness Dragons’ high-profile recruit Ben Hunt tackle his former club Brisbane on Thursday night.

Scheduling aside, the occasion alone deserves a sold-out Jubilee Oval with the Dragons and NRL CEO Todd Greenberg to pay tribute to immortal Graeme Langlands — who passed away in January — prior to kick-off.

Out west, only 100 reserve seats are left available at Penrith where they will host premiership heavyweights Parramatta next Sunday.

While in Queensland, a celebration of Johnathan Thurston’s career and his 300th NRL game against Cronulla has led Cowboys officials to prepare for a crowd of close to 22,000.

Pepper Stadium will be packed for the Panthers and Eels. Picture: Getty Images

Only 15 more people would need to attend the blockbuster for the biggest Cowboys-Sharks crowd of 1996 to be broken.

In the west and just like Slater, Bulldogs captain Josh Jackson said he could hardly contain himself ahead of his trip to Perth to play Melbourne in front of an anticipated double-header crowd of 40,000 — the biggest in WA history.

“I can’t wait, I’m itching to go,’’ Jackson said. “It’s been a long pre-season.

“I played Melbourne there in 2014, but this is a great way to start the year.

“A new stadium in front of 40,000 with a double-header ... I’ve been looking forward to the game for almost the entire pre-season, so I can’t wait to get stuck into it.’’

Closer to home, Manly face one of the most daunting road trips to commence the new season, to Newcastle, facing the new-look Knights on Friday night where a crowd between 22,000-25,000 is expected.

Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans was under no illusion about what his side are about to walk into.

“They’ve got hope for the first time in a long time,’’ Cherry-Evans said.

Originally published as NRL season 2018 kick-off: Record crowds tipped as footy fever grips fans