Jamie Simpson will be ‘over the moon’ if he gets to watch beloved Rabbitohs in Rocky

Former South Sydney star says it’s a ‘fantastic opportunity’ for the region, which is rugby league heartland.

Rockhampton’s Jamie Simpson played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the late 2002.

If Rockhampton secures an NRL game, Jamie Simpson will be one of the first in line to get tickets.

If it happens to feature his beloved South Sydney, he would be elated.

Simpson played 37 NRL games for the Rabbitohs in the late 2000s, and he would love nothing more to see them in action in his hometown.

He might just get his wish.

Odds are firming that Rockhampton will host an NRL game and there’s a good chance it will be the Round 20 clash between the Rabbitohs and St George on July 31.

August 6 has been touted as another possible date, with fixtures on that day between Canberra and St George and Parramatta and the Rabbitohs.

Browne Park will be the venue, and no other games or training sessions are being held there until a decision on the NRL game is made.

QRL Central Division manager Rob Crow got the ball rolling, lodging an Expression of Interest with NRL CEO Andrew Abdo on July 12.

The Morning Bulletin is getting behind Rockhampton’s bid to host an NRL game.

The Rockhampton Leagues Club came on board to underwrite the bid, with the Rockhampton Regional Council then committing $50,000 towards it.

Simpson said it was a “fantastic opportunity” for Rockhampton and Central Queensland, which was rugby league heartland.

“It’s really exciting. As soon as it (the bid) hit the news, I had family and friends hitting me up for tickets,” he said.

“The buzz around the game is amazing.

“It would be great for the people to CQ to see the calibre of players that the NRL has to offer.”

Simpson is a diehard Rabbitohs’ supporter, having spent more than five years at the club.

He also has a connection with their coach Wayne Bennett, who coached him for two years at the Brisbane Broncos before he made the move to Sydney.

“The Rabbitohs family is always close to me and if we got a Rabbitohs game here I would be over the moon,” he said.

“Getting the call-up for my debut game with them was the most memorable thing in my career.

“It was played in New Zealand against the Warriors. It was a difficult game; it was a baptism of fire but from that moment on I bled red and green.”