Origin passion ignites rivals on andd off the field

TONIGHT Joe Kinnane will proudly wear maroon as he pledges support for Queensland in the State of Origin.

READY TO RUMBLE: Jane Wolfe, of the Albion Hotel, backs up Queensland supporter and Ghosts manager Joe Kinnane as he squares up with New South Wales supporter and Rebels reserve-grade captain/coach Matt Pye and Rebels major sponsor John Matthews, of the Amble Inn. Photo: Adam Hourigan / The Daily Examiner

TONIGHT Joe Kinnane will proudly wear maroon as he pledges support for Queensland in the State of Origin.

Fast forward to this Sunday, and he will be back in blue for a rivalry that challenges rugby league's flagship series for passion - if not quality. The First-grade manager of the Grafton Ghosts said the local derby with South Grafton Rebels was always a classic contest the players looked forward to.

"On the warm down after the game with Orara - that's when they started thinking about what will happen this Sunday," Kinnane said.

Meantime, on the other side of the Clarence River, Matthew Pye will side with New South Wales in the hope they can arrest the eight-season losing streak.

But on Sunday he'll throw on the red and white as the South Grafton Rebels Reserve-grade captain-coach. He said the similarities between State of Origin and the Grafton derby went beyond the geographical.

"I like to see a good game of footy with a lot of passion, and what always makes the South Grafton versus Grafton game is the passion," Pye said.

"State against state, mate against mate, it's the same sort of thing.

"A lot of blokes work together but play on the opposite team. Everyone wants the bragging rights for the next year."

> > > Editorial - Time for Blues to shine

Just as NRL teammates square off as enemies in State of Origin, players who will be teammates at McKittrick Park this Sunday will have differing allegiances tonight, as Kinnane light-heartedly pointed out.

"My ex-favourite player is Bluey (Ghosts prop Ben McLennan)," Kinnane joked. "But now my new favourite player is (new Ghosts recruit) Ryan Binge, because he follows the Maroons."

The Grafton rivalry is alive and well, and Kinnane traded verbal blows with Pye, who bravely stepped into Ghosts' territory at the Albion Hotel yesterday.

"The rivalry probably goes back before rugby league when you look into it," Pye said.

"Grafton blokes would come across on the ferry and South Grafton blokes would be waiting for them."

While the two sides of the river always formed the municipality of Grafton, once upon a time they had unique major facilities.

"We get the blame because everything came to this side," Kinnane said.

To which Pye replied, "we don't see it that way".

Originally published as Origin passion ignites rivals on andd off the field