Queensland’s State of Origin camp has kicked off in the most bizarre way possible, in a drama that could only happen in rugby league.
The Queensland Origin camp has kicked off in the most rugby league way possible, with the squad forced out of a function after a Tina Turner impersonator’s fireworks set off fire alarms.
Having assembled after the selection yesterday, the Queensland fan day quickly went off the rails.
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After holding a fan day in Bundaberg on Tuesday, the entire Maroons squad as well as Queensland legend Johnathan Thurston had a meet and greet with fans.
The Tina Turner impersonator Rebecca O’Connor performed outdoors for the fans and the squad but when the show went indoors for a luncheon at the Bundaberg Convention Centre, that’s where things went wrong.
Indoors, O’Connor’s pyrotechnics set off the fire alarm with the Maroons and their supporters forced out of the convention centre in bizarre scenes.
Fox Sports Lab’s Daniel Beswick tweeted that “The most rugby league thing I’ve ever read/seen”.
It comes just a day after the first State of Origin match was moved from the neutral MCG to far north Queensland with Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium set to get the series opener.
While Blues fans were infuriated and Maroons fans were delighted over the news, NSW legend Ryan Girdler said the move has made it Queensland’s series to lose with the added pressure of starting the series with two games north of the border.
“It is a good time to play footy up in Townsville and I think it could really suit NSW, who are going to have to play on the edges and around this really big and quality Queensland pack,” NCA Newswire reported earlier on Tuesday.
“It might actually suit NSW if they can take the crowd out of it and that has to be Freddie’s plan I would imagine.
“Of course, playing two games in Queensland makes it difficult and there will be more pressure to get a win from the first two games, but I have no problem with it.
“We couldn’t match the bid and they had to play two games somewhere.”