Dolphins v Broncos: No ‘second team’, you must choose

Supporting two NRL teams or having a “second team” riles Matty Holdsworth no end. So are you a Bronco or Dolphin? SEE THE POLL RESULTS

On Friday night, the footy gods delivered the debut clash to set the scene for of one of rugby league’s greatest rivalries.

For years the Broncos against the North Queensland Cowboys, spurred on from arguably the greatest grand final in NRL history, was the competition’s fiercest rivalry.

While it remains an elite rivalry, the geographical gap between the clubs is too large.

And with respect to the Gold Coast Titans, the “M1 Derby” doesn’t have the same ring to it as a cross-town rivalry.

Brisbane, clearly, remains predominantly Bronco territy, not just because of their win but only 36 per cent of readers on couriermail.com.au identified as Dolphins ... for now.

I was born in Pine Rivers and I went to a Queensland Cup game at Dolphin Oval as my first taste of live rugby league.

But without a Redcliffe team in the NRL, coupled with an idolisation of Darren Lockyer and the might of Brisbane’s domination in the late ’90s meant my brothers and I were Broncos lifers.

Now, we Queenslanders are a passionate bunch. We want our state to own rugby league and we have a fondness for clubs that our Maroons’ stars lace up for.

But for me, too many conversations have been “who are you going for?”, “I want them both to win” or “I’m a Broncos fan but the Dolphins are my second team”.

This riles me no end.

You don’t see it in other codes.

Take English football’s Merseyside-Manchester derbies, for example.

These are twin cities in England’s northwest where you are either red or blue.

There is no in between.

The four guaranteed annual derbies are the most important games of the calendar year.

Forget about “what do you do for work?” as a party ice breaker, it should be “Broncos or Dolphins?” No “second team” bulls--t.

There was no doubt Friday night’s sold-out blockbuster was something for the ages, and the writers could not have asked for a better script.

There was the mouth-watering spice of super coach Wayne Bennett up against the club that sacked him... then there’s the Dolphins’ recent poaching raid of the Broncos’ Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler.

But when the dust settles and the excitement of the Dolphins’ NRL arrival dims, the easiest way to ensure the sold-out matches continue is for the rivalry to intensify.

I want the banter splitting public bars, for Brisbane politicians to throw down heckles in Parliament and families to torn down the middle.

For 80 glorious minutes, I want to see friends and families have borderline hatred for one another.