Not Quite Super, Lads
Sun Herald
Sunday March 2, 1997
TWO points is two points and, well, Brisbane got away with the two points last night.
Often the wait is too long, the build-up too intense, and the occasion doesn't quite meet the expectation.
That was the case last night, as Brisbane out-scrambled Auckland in Super League's inaugural match, winning 14-2.
The Warriors appeared to still be settling in to the season, having trouble putting any sort of attacking movement together and falling off some simple tackles.
A slicker Brisbane, like the one we have come to know, would have run away with it. But the night was about more than football, the Super League juggernaut finally rolling into action.
After a two-year build-up, volumes of legal documents, litres of bad blood and painful tears, rugby league finally got its two competitions.
Now they just need to hang on to the ball.
Having led 8-2 at half-time, Brisbane could only score one more try in the second half, leading the 42,361 strong crowd feeling largely unfulfilled. Throughout the wait they had worked up a bigger appetite than what was given them last night.
Given the huge build-up the pre-match entertainment needed to absolutely stagger to have the desired impact. It failed to do so.
The benchmark, you'd think, to compare pre-match entertainment was the identical game two years ago, when Brisbane made their way to Auckland for the Warriors' inaugural match in the ARL premiership.
It was a night of occasion, as well. Back then, with the Australia-New Zealand angle the obvious one, pre-match entertainment organisers called on the Spirit of The Anzacs.
It was a winning scene, easily the best pre-match entertainment seen for a long, long time.
That night the lights were dimmed as soldiers hit the field in a mock war, complete with blanks from their machine guns. Helicopters flew into the stadium, grenades went off and, as the coup de grace, a huge explosion lit up on the halfway line. The fireball enough to fill a good-sized room.
Then, when the emotion was at fever pitch, a flamed pathway lit up the Warriors entry to the field. It smacked of occasion.
Unfortunately for Super League, this one didn't quite make it. After a series of performances, albeit from highly respected acts, there was nothing new, nothing catchy, in the pre-match act.
Worse, after the entertainment was over there was a huge pregnant pause as the crowd was forced to wait for the players to enter the field.
When they finally did, though, the Broncos made up for it with a sharp start.
BRISBANE 14 (M Hancock, S Renouf, B Thorn tries; D Lockyer goal) bt AUCKLAND 2 (M Ridge goal).
RESERVE GRADE: Auckland 13 bt Brisbane 12.
* In Townsville, the North Queensland Cowboys scored 20 unanswered second-half points to steal their opening Super League game from the Adelaide Rams 24-16.
Down 16-4 at halftime, the Cowboys had the better of the slippery conditions to score a morale-boosting four-tries-to-two win in front of 17,738 sodden fans.
Led by two tries from skipper Steve Walters and a typically powerful performance from Ian Roberts on his return to football, the Cowboys looked impressive in the second half.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 24 (Steve Walters 2, Tyran Smith, Luke Phillips tries, 4 goals) bt ADELAIDE RAMS 16 (Kerrod Walters, Brett Galea tries; Kurt Wrigley 4 goals) at Stockland Stadium. Crowd: 17,738. Referee: Brian Grant.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON ... EVENTUALLY
* 6.57pm: The wheels are set in motion. The men in black, the hired help, set the stage. Super League is winding up, the ground is filling up.
* 7.03pm: We're waiting ... the hired help are ...
* 7.07pm: Sorry about that. The Super League food just rolled in. We're talking fresh prawns, Atlantic salmon with a garlic smoked almond sauce, a baked eye fillet served with pesto.
* 7.09pm: Now this is scary. The lights are out, spotlights fan the grandstands.
* 7.13pm: Super League's first act, Yothu Yindi, hits the stage, the didgeridoo is under the spotlight, lasers hit the field and the song is ... Treaty.
In this time of intergalactic television ads, of two competitions, it doesn't quite illustrate the sense of occasion.
* 7.14pm: Kids stream the field, carrying stars symbolic of the universe, and a huge blow-up earth.
* 7.17pm: Belinda Carlisle hits the stage, sings We Are The Champions, fireworks explode from the grandstand roof.
* 7.18pm: Flares surround Carlisle and, what do you know, she is surrounded by men dressed in the 10 Super League uniforms.
* 7.19pm: More fireworks, the windows in the press room shake.
* 7.21pm: The Capulet Ball, from Romeo and Juliet, is reenacted with Kym Mazelle singing Young Hearts Run Free.
* 7.30pm: Now this is serious. By now Alfie should be hitting the field. Instead we have Jon Stevens singing Two Tribes.
* 7.32pm: Bring on Alf.
* 7.34pm: The two Capulet statues at each end of the field pour smoke and reflect bright pink light. You work it out.
* 7.35pm: Thank you Jon, now please bring on Alf.
* 7.36pm: Well, the lights are finished with and that looks about it. A nice show.
* 7.37pm: Hold on. You're not going to believe this. On the screen a host of celebrities wish Super League their best. Scott Miller, Elle Macpherson, Bill Collins, Mike Gibson, Tim Webster, Melissa George, Kim Beazley, Piers Ackerman, Ignatius Jones, Les Murray, Rob Stich, Pauline Hanson, Wally Lewis, to name a few. Things look desperate.
* 7.39pm: The celebrity roll-up continues. Bring on Alf, please.
* 7.43pm: Now we wait.
* 7.44pm: Some idiot starts the Mexican wave, the crowd cheers mindlessly.
* 7.45pm: Here is the anti-climax. The entertainment over, the crowd do the wave while they wait.
* 7.46pm: Some say there was $300,000 spent on pre-match entertainment. Why not just wind the wave up about two minutes before the teams run on and save a fistful of cash? The crowd wouldn't be any less happy.
* 7.47pm: We have Alf.
* 7.48pm: We have the kick-off. We have the first tackle and the first brawl. What pre-match entertainment? The footy's back.
© 1997 Sun Herald
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