Brisbane’s Gabba transforms for NRL Broncos v Dolphins
Brisbane’s iconic Gabba ground is set to make history again as it hosts the first of several NRL matches. SEE THE TIMELAPSE
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
From the Cauldron to the Colosseum, the Gabbatoir is all set for the Battle of Brisbane.
After 52,000 fans packed into Suncorp Stadium for the first NRL showdown between the Broncos and Dolphins in March, the second instalment of Brisbane’s biggest new sporting rivalry takes centre stage at a sold-out Gabba on Saturday night.
The last available tickets were snapped up on Friday morning, with more than 30,000 league fans set to pack into the storied venue for the first rugby league match at the Gabba for almost 70 years.
Suncorp Stadium is viewed as the best rugby league venue in the world, but the Gabba – the epicentre of the 2032 Olympics, is Brisbane’s sporting home, a ground that went to the dogs, where pigs fly and Lions roar.
While it officially seats 42,000 fans, replay screens and other logistical issues slice several thousand seats off the capacity, and it is unclear how many Broncos’ season ticketholders will show up for what is their home game, but there are no more tickets available for the historic clash.
Thursday night’s AFL smash-up victory by Brisbane over Richmond kickstarted a frenetic 48 hours to turn the Lions’ den into the Broncos’ backyard, with crews working across two days to finish line marking, signage, replacing the goalposts and other logistical issues required to complete the conversion.
It meant neither team was able to do the traditional “captain’s run” training session on the ground which has not hosted rugby league since a Test match between Australia and New Zealand in 1956.
Just two years earlier the ground’s biggest-ever sporting attendance was recorded – 46,355, for a match between Australia and Great Britain won 38-21 by the visitors, despite a home team list dripping with rugby league royalty such as Clive Churchill and Norm Provan.
Another name to grace the Gabba for representative rugby league during the 1950s was Eddie Brosnan, the uncle of Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett.
Speaking on Friday, Bennett said he appreciated the history of the ground.
“I have no memory of it (his uncle’s matches) as a kid (but) it is nice to be back,” he said.
“It is a great ground with great history.
“It is no different to playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and we all played there the last few years when they were doing up the new stadium.”
His one-time Broncos apprentice, current Brisbane coach Kevin Walters, was also excited to be part of history.
“It’s an iconic stadium, a world-class stadium and we get a chance to grace the greens there – it will be very exciting,” he said.
“We will get there a bit early tomorrow and the boys can have a look around. It’s still a rectangular field and the boys still have to run and tackle hard and have the same philosophies.
“It’s sensational, I have been there for cricket games and AFL games and Big Bash games and it always provides a great atmosphere.”
Keen to embrace the sense of occasion, the Broncos players will run through an AFL-style banner as they make their way onto the ground for the first of three Gabba games while Suncorp is off limits due to the looming women’s soccer FIFA World Cup.
The historic clash at the Gabba lands on the NRLs Beanies For Brain Cancer Round, with team to be led onto the field by Harry Wiseman, 8, who is now in remission following a four-year battle with brain cancer.
Broncos captain Adam Reynolds said supporting kids like Harry is what footy is all about.
“Harry is a little champion, who has been brought up very well, and it was great to check out our second home with him.
“Being a Dad, I can only imagine what he and his family have been through, but you wouldn’t know it now – his smile lit up The Gabba when we met him.
“This is what footy is all about, being able to support these causes. The rugby league world isn’t immune to life’s tough times and we see that with Mark Hughes. The work that’s been done to raise awareness of brain cancer has been incredible for years.”
The Broncos will make an inspection on Saturday morning to determine whether it is suitable for club mascot Buck the horse to run laps of the field after team tries.
He would not be the first animal to grace the ground.
From 1972 to 1993 the Gabba hosted greyhound racing, while two pigs have also made their way into the hallowed arena.
The first, with the name “Botham” printed on its flank, famously ran out on the field during the Ashes cricket series in 1982, while a prankster tried to recreate the classic moment in 2013, disguising a piglet as a baby in a pram before being busted by security.
Gabba grounds manager David Sandurski said it had been a big couple of days.
“We’ve had a grounds team presence for around 20 hours a day in the lead up to prepare for Saturday’s NRL match,” he said.
“We had the opportunity to do a trial run a few months ago, so all went according to plan.”
BRIDGE LIGHTS UP FOR STORIED BATTLE
It’s the epic Gabba grudge match lighting up Brisbane – literally.
On the eve of the Battle of Brisbane NRL showdown between the Broncos and the Dolphins, the Story Bridge was on Friday night lit in the club colours of the both teams.
The Broncos approached the council to have city landmarks lit up in team colours ahead of the first rugby league match at the Gabba in almost 70 years, in much the way buildings and bridges around town are lit up to promote Christmas lights, State of Origin, World Environment Day and a host of other causes.
But due to a prior application from a community group for Saturday night, the council was unable to accommodate the Broncos’ request.
Instead, the Story Bridge was lit on Friday night in the colours of both teams to promote the match.
The Broncos have launched a host of other activities and promotions set to get fans fired up, while the Dolphins have spent an estimated $20,000 on advertising billboards and signage to promote the game – an almost unprecedented measure for an away team.
The Dolphins are also hosting a pre-match function at the Aussie National Hotel across the road from the Gabba, with 500 fans making the trek from the city’s north to add a tribal atmosphere to the showdown.
Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader said the club’s fans would contribute to what is expected to be a carnival atmosphere on game day.
“This is going to be a massive night for all Dolphins supporters and especially our members that are at the game,” he said.
More Coverage
Originally published as Brisbane’s Gabba transforms for NRL Broncos v Dolphins
Join the conversation
The Kid Crisafulli: Spaghetti-eating champion’s meteoric rise in politics
The man tipped to be the next Queensland Premier was once known as ‘the fastest mouth in the North’ as former colleagues — and the spaghetti-eating champion himself — reflects on his career.
Read more
The powerplay that makes Katter Qld’s kingmakers
One of Australia’s most stable and unified minor parties has showed its hand with a calculated declaration that could decide who becomes the next premier, writes Hayden Johnson.
Read more
‘Need to have access’: Crisafulli’s view on native title
David Crisafulli says that Queenslanders “need access to the areas that they’ve always had access to” in response to a Courier-Mail reader question on native title.
Read more
Top Qld uni falls to eight-year low in global rankings
One of Queensland’s top universities has taken a major slide down the global rankings, while none of our other institutions made the top 200.
Read more
‘My dad’s friend is one of my OnlyFans subscribers’
After an odd encounter at a family gathering, an Aussie OnlyFans creator made the shock discovery that one of her dad’s longtime friends was one of her subscribers.
Read more
Mum riddled with cancer years after she thought battle was over
A Brisbane mother thought she had finally beaten breast cancer before the deadly disease returned with a vengeance. Samantha’s husband has now gone into fight for her.
Read more