Charlie Staines’ four tries cost his local Forbes pub big time
He’s the pride of Penrith after his four-try demolition of Cronulla but Panthers rookie Charlie Staines’ heroics on the field had big implications for his local pub.
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Charlie Staines not only scored four tries in his NRL debut for the Penrith Panthers on Saturday afternoon, he almost sent a little country pub broke in the process.
Matt Coleman is the publican of the Post Office Hotel in the main street of Forbes, the teenage rookie’s home town. To celebrate his debut, Coleman put on $4 schooners and free beer every time he scored.
By the end of the day he was grateful for the COVID-19 restrictions that allowed only 50 patrons on the premises.
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“It could have been a lot worse,” Coleman laughed when we chatted on Sunday about Staines’ scorching debut on Penrith’s right wing against the Cronulla Sharks at Kogarah Oval.
The locals who gather at the Post Office Hotel every Saturday afternoon for NRL Super Saturday and a punt on the races were celebrating long into the night.
It started with a rush to the bar when Staines first scored in the 24th minute and was swamped by his Panthers teammates in front of around 20 family and friends who made the trip to Sydney from Forbes.
Coleman posted on the pub’s Facebook page: “Let the beer flow #gocharlieyoulittleripper.”
Then almost every time he looked up at the screen the speedster was over again. The 46th minute, the 74th minute and then a minute before full-time. Then another post appeared: “No more free beer #stopscoringtriescharlie.”
On a normal Saturday afternoon, the locals will drink four kegs of beer. On Saturday, it was 13.
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Coleman, who is also secretary of the local footy club where Staines played juniors, had no regrets as the locals began filing back into the pub to chat about the biggest story in town.
“I loved it,” Coleman said. “He’s such a good kid, not just a good player. His family are very well respected and the whole town is really tight.
“Maybe he’ll get a statue one day in the main street.”
Coleman likened it to when the Forbes Magpies last won the local Group 11 competition. That day Staines incredibly played in both the under-18s and then first-grade grand finals, back-to-back.
“The whole town went mad,” Coleman laughed, “Just like Saturday. He’s our hero. And it gives the locals something to talk about rather than coronavirus and the drought.”
Originally published as Charlie Staines’ four tries cost his local Forbes pub big time