Dakink
06-04-06, 12:19 PM
Herald Sun,
Blues seek to charm Melbourne
By Karl deKroo
April 6, 2006
NEW South Wales's State of Origin team is planning a charm offensive in an effort to win over Melbourne in the lead-up to the July 5 match at Telstra Dome.
While former Blues coach Ricky Stuart had expressed reservations about bringing rugby league's showpiece back to Melbourne for the first time since 1997, his successor Graham Murray said yesterday the concept would have his full support.
"Selfishly and ideally as New South Wales coach you'd want two games in Sydney," Murray said.
"But the decision makers have decided to take the game to Melbourne to help grow the sport down there and I think it's exciting.
"It will be new for the players and we intend to embrace the concept fully."
The Blues intend to go into camp in Melbourne up to a week before the game and Victoria's rugby league fans can look forward to unprecedented access to the sport's elite players.
"We have a number of fan days planned, most of our training sessions will be open to the public and I'm more than happy for people to come along and have a look at what we do," Murray said.
Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr revealed yesterday about 25,000 tickets were already accounted for.
"There is no doubt there is an appetite in Melbourne for a match of this stature," Carr said.
Now we all know that NSW is the biggest, most powerful and successful state full of intelligent beautiful people, but now the Mexicans are also going to fall in love with us...
But seriously, it looks like their is going to be a fair crowd in Melbourne for SOO3 with 25,ooo tix already sold!!
I am a massive supporter of using Origin as a marketing tool and have no problem with losing a home game to expose people to Origin. If PNG had a stadium big enough Id love to see the third game of a series go there.
Also good to see Murray get behind the move, we need all the people involved to promote it to make it as big a success as possible.
Blues seek to charm Melbourne
By Karl deKroo
April 6, 2006
NEW South Wales's State of Origin team is planning a charm offensive in an effort to win over Melbourne in the lead-up to the July 5 match at Telstra Dome.
While former Blues coach Ricky Stuart had expressed reservations about bringing rugby league's showpiece back to Melbourne for the first time since 1997, his successor Graham Murray said yesterday the concept would have his full support.
"Selfishly and ideally as New South Wales coach you'd want two games in Sydney," Murray said.
"But the decision makers have decided to take the game to Melbourne to help grow the sport down there and I think it's exciting.
"It will be new for the players and we intend to embrace the concept fully."
The Blues intend to go into camp in Melbourne up to a week before the game and Victoria's rugby league fans can look forward to unprecedented access to the sport's elite players.
"We have a number of fan days planned, most of our training sessions will be open to the public and I'm more than happy for people to come along and have a look at what we do," Murray said.
Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr revealed yesterday about 25,000 tickets were already accounted for.
"There is no doubt there is an appetite in Melbourne for a match of this stature," Carr said.
Now we all know that NSW is the biggest, most powerful and successful state full of intelligent beautiful people, but now the Mexicans are also going to fall in love with us...
But seriously, it looks like their is going to be a fair crowd in Melbourne for SOO3 with 25,ooo tix already sold!!
I am a massive supporter of using Origin as a marketing tool and have no problem with losing a home game to expose people to Origin. If PNG had a stadium big enough Id love to see the third game of a series go there.
Also good to see Murray get behind the move, we need all the people involved to promote it to make it as big a success as possible.