Editorial: Cauldron set to conjure another magical win

Our injury-hit Matildas will feel that special alchemy when they take to the field in front of a sellout crowd at Brisbane’s field of dreams, writes the editor.

There is something genuinely magical that lifts home teams to feats otherwise unimaginable when they play at Queensland’s field of dreams, Suncorp Stadium.

And our injury-hit Matildas will feel that special alchemy on Thursday night when they take to the field in front of a sellout crowd – one that knows how to carry a home team home.

From Big Artie Beetson’s first Maroons putting to bed forever the myth that we Queenslanders could never beat the Blues, to Paul “Fatty” Vautin’s team of nobodies putting the icing on the cake of the most unexpected of clean sweeps – the hallowed turf of what was Lang Park is where you never say die.

It was where local hero Frank Farina scored one of the two goals that the Brisbane Strikers punched into the back of the net in their sold-out final against Sydney United in 1997. It was where Will Genia got the Queensland Reds home in the Super Rugby final of 2011. And it was where in 2020 we were able to forget about Covid for a few hours as our “worst Maroons ever” secured their famous series victory.

It is also where in 2017 a humble Brisbane schoolteacher named Jeff Horn took the WBO welterweight title from boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in front of 51,052 of us in what was the first Battle of Brisbane. Fast-forward six years and 51,047 of us were there as Bronco Kotoni Staggs iced the second Battle with his end-to-end try in the 77th minute against the Dolphins.

It’s a special place, our Suncorp. Our spiritual home. The Cauldron. The heartbeat of Queensland. And, tonight, all Australian eyes will turn to it as our women’s soccer team – with 10 Queenslanders in the 23-strong squad – take centre stage to add another storied chapter to that long list of days and nights that we will never forget.

The night will be a tough one for Cairns-born Mary Fowler, benched after a concussion on Tuesday. It will be a challenge, too, for our global superstar striker Sam Kerr – who will have to watch on again from the sidelines, still struck down with a calf injury. Also injured are Kyah Simon, Aivi Luik, Clare Polkinghorne and Tameka Yallop.

But this Matildas squad is all class – and depth, something coach Tony Gustavsson has focused on building since taking the reins three years ago. Gustavsson had the Matildas endure a series of painful losses in the early months of his tenure as he blooded new, inexperienced players for just this eventuality in just this tournament – a home World Cup.

Having four of your team’s big names relegated to the bench is a challenge. But that’s never stopped a home team at Suncorp – a place where in 1995 Maroons skipper Trevor Gillmeister ran on to the field, having just hours earlier pulled an antibiotic drip from his arm and checked himself out of hospital so he would not miss the chance of captaining a winning Queensland side. Doctors told him he was risking death, such was the seriousness of the blood infection. Gillmeister rang his dad for advice. The response? “If you die, you die.” Queensland won 24-16 – and Gilly glowed as he held the shield aloft.

The Matildas are, sensibly, taking a far more cautionary approach to this game when it comes to their injured stars and captain. But the point remains: Suncorp is a place that rewards courage. And these Matildas have that in spades.

And so, as the eyes of the world literally turn to our state’s sporting heart tonight to watch a team that is setting new viewership records and inspiring a generation while they do it, we say: Welcome home to a place where dreams come true – a place where the home team is carried to victory more often than not by the spirit of those who came before you, and the hopes of all those girls and boys who will follow in your proud footsteps. Let’s go Matildas!

INFLATION EASING BUT PRESSURE STILL ON

You are not just imagining it: life in Queensland has recently got a lot more expensive – and quickly.

The inflation data out yesterday shows price rises in Brisbane for electricity, rents, insurance and health have grown faster over the past year than any other capital city – and it’s no doubt a similar story in the state’s regions.

The state government’s $550 rebate on power prices will help ease some of the burden, but you do have to wonder what is going on when in Adelaide electricity has only – only! – risen 12.1 per cent since this time last year. Opposition Leader David Crisafulli predictably blames the Palaszczuk government, and particularly the ongoing issues at the state-owned Callide power plant. He promises maintenance guarantees on power plants.

Treasurer Cameron Dick seized on the fact that overall inflation was actually slightly lower than had been forecast, which “will reduce pressure on interest rates”.

No matter which side you agree with (and perhaps that’s both on this occasion), the truth is that there is not much our political leaders can do in the short-term to ease these pressures. We must strap ourselves in for a bumpy ride, and hope we are nearing the start of the end.

Originally published as Editorial: Cauldron set to conjure another magical win