As the NRL finals series enters its second week, the competition has sparked some hilarious and downright chaotic campaigns and initiatives from two of the greats of the game. From this moment on, winning is the only option, with every game a knock-out affair. And with that comes intense rivalry and hilarity from all sides.
The action kicks off tonight as the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks take on the North Queensland Cowboys. In a game already shrouded in rivalry, with a number of former Sharks players making the move up north and the Cowboys holding a few iconic finals wins over the boys in black, white and blue, QLD great Johnathan Thurston and Sharks legend Paul Gallen have taken the competition to the next level.
In a hilarious segment on the Nine Network’s Today Show yesterday, Thurston and Gallen have promised to dress up in their opposing teams’ colours for the team that advances to the preliminary final game next week.
With both former players bleeding their team’s respective colours, the bet is bound to lead to some hilarious antics in next week’s coverage.
Thurston has also shown his “Queensland spirit” by purchasing $10,000 worth of tickets for Queensland fans living in New South Wales. Also announced during the segment, Thurston has teamed up with the NRL’s official insurance partner, Youi, to give Queensland NRL fans the chance to witness the next step of the Cowboys finals run at Allianz Stadium, Sydney.
With the tickets available to Queensland Maroons fans and any members of Queensland-based NRL teams, fans can claim their tickets by proving their support at [email protected] from today.
But the finals footy chaos doesn’t end there. Paying homage to the Cronulla legend’s famous nickname, Shire-based fans have been encouraged to jump on board the G-Train to Allianz this weekend in a playful and borderline cringe-worthy campaign shared on social media.
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If the Manly Sea Eagles and the Sydney Roosters are engaging in the same level of mayhem, we can’t be certain. At least outwardly, the two teams seem to be taking a more civilised approach to finals footy.
Tonight, the Cronulla Sharks outfit seeks to break their run of eight consecutive finals losses when they take on a gunslinging North Queensland Cowboys side known for their all-out attacking style. With questions surrounding his big-game performances, Sharks playmaker Nicho Hynes is hellbent on delivering an emphatic answer. But to do so, the Sharks will also need to drown out the relentless scoreboard threats of Tom Dearden, Valentine Holmes, and Scott Drinkwater.
On Saturday night, it’s the battle of the birds, and the Sydney Roosters meet the Manly Sea Eagles at 7.50pm. After being outclassed by the Panthers last week, the Roosters revert back to their chook pen at Allianz Stadium, where they’ll welcome back enforcer Victor Radley as captain James Tedesco rallies his troops to keep their season alive in his 250th NRL game. In two match-ups this season, it’s one win apiece for either side, and Manly will come with winning momentum and two of the NRL’s biggest names – Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic – having a few tricks up their sleeve in what shapes as a bruising encounter.
Every second of the NRL finals action can be caught live and free on the Nine Network or broadcast on Kayo.
