Origin in Madang is all about slow building humidity that peaks a couple of hours before kickoff and the storms that often knock the power out before and during the game.
In Papua New Guinea these are the biggest nights of the year and the excitement builds as steadily as the moisture in the air.
The southern game day rituals of jersey, beanie and scarf wearing are still embraced though. People in the streets are sporting gear designed for Brisbane and Sydney midwinter nights – a level of commitment for your team that should inspire any decent Queenslander not brandishing colours today.
Most New Guineans back the Maroons – Queensland’s the closest state and is like an extension of PNG – but the justification for supporting a team can as simple as which jersey you scored when you were a kid or which player you love. Allegiances change every year for some.
Four wheel drives, security utes and vans, the cops, government cars, trucks and local mini buses have the sort of flags flying from their aerials that breweries deck out almost every pub in QLD with at this time of year. ALL of them have been for the Maroons.
I’m at a dry university campus for the game which is far from ideal but there’s been some talk from the boys in the footy team here of buying a few six packs in town and hiding in the long grass to get charged up before kick off or even, if I’m feeling tough enough, getting some local steam and sipping away from a lemonade bottle.
Time will tell which is the better option.
I hope it’s true…Just think of all the free boiled lobster dinners ripe for the picking !!
Seriously the author doesn’t realize this is staged?