Coast to bid for State of Origin match

Jeremy Pierce | 06:51am September 21, 2012



THE Gold Coast will launch an audacious bid to snatch a State of Origin match from big brother Brisbane.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate is desperate to stage a marquee event on the Glitter Strip in the lead-up to the city's 2018 Commonwealth Games and has his sights set on an Origin showdown.

The plot comes as the Victorian Government also attempts to steal games from Brisbane.

The Queensland Government has rejected any notion of paying for the right to stage Origin matches in Brisbane, which has opened the door to Victoria and the Gold Coast. Cr Tate said he would chase State of Origin hard.

"We just had a Wallabies Test and I am going to go after State of Origin," he said. "We have had the Aboriginal All Stars game, we host the International Rugby Sevens, bringing State of Origin here to the Gold Coast makes a lot of sense.

"If we snag it here I think it would be bigger than Suncorp."

Cr Tate said he was not bothered if the plan upset Brisbane's rugby league faithful.

"That's an even better reason to have it here," he said.

Under the plan, a State of Origin fixture would come to the Gold Coast before the 2018 Commonwealth Games and would utilise Carrara's Metricon Stadium.

The 27,000-seat Skilled Park, purpose-built for the rugby codes, does not have the capacity to stage an Origin match, but Metricon's 25,000-seat stadium will be upgraded with temporary grandstands to accommodate more than 40,000 spectators for the Commonwealth Games.

An Origin match would be an ideal test event for a large-scale sporting spectacle.

The Australian Rugby League Commission has indicated it would be prepared to offer some Origin matches to the highest bidder.

Brisbane and Sydney would both continue to host one Origin game each year, but the ARLC is open to staging the third game elsewhere every second year.

Queensland Rugby League CEO Rob Moore was diplomatic on hearing of the plan.

"It's great that the Gold Coast has an interest in hosting the game as it reflects the drawing power of State of Origin," he said.

"But ultimately it is a decision for the Commission."

It would be fantastic to have it here on the GC.

Id like to see it happen. Origin should also go to Townsville. This is something we should aim for.

Take an Origin to Newcastle as well!

But our stadiums need to play catch up.

All this competition will be good for Rugby League. Well unless you are Campbell Newman.

Cant see it happening soon though, but if it is ever gonna hit the GC, it has to be when Carrara's capacity is expanded. But maybe the QRL will simply see GC as being close to BNE.

But it'd offer more Blues fans the chance. And we DID hold games at QE2 as well.

Gold Coast Origin bid to be discussed

Queensland's major events minister says she is open to discussing a potential bid by the Gold Coast to host a State of Origin match.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate says he wants the city to host a fixture in the marquee rugby league series in the lead-up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games, with Melbourne also contemplating trying to nab Origin games from Brisbane.

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) is believed to be considering selling some Origin hosting rights to the highest bidder and Tate says he's determined to push hard for Gold Coast to stake a claim.

Under the proposal, Brisbane and Sydney would still host one game each year but the ARLC will be open to staging a third game elsewhere every second year.

The plan has already been met with disdain by the Queensland Government, who say they will not pay to keep matches in Brisbane but Major Events and Commonwealth Games minister Jann Stuckey says she'll discuss a possible Gold Coast bid with the mayor next week.

"In Tom Tate, you have a very bold and progressive mayor who has his heart very firmly attached to the Gold Coast and I'm very pleased to hear he has some big ideas and big dreams," Stuckey told reporters on Friday.

"We're a government committed to major events and the most important thing is we work towards that.

"I'll be discussing that (Origin) with Tom early next week."

Tate says he would host an Origin match at Carrara Stadium, which is set to have its capacity of 25,000 boosted to 40,000 with temporary grandstands for the Commonwealth Games.

"We just had a Wallabies Test and I am going to go after State of Origin," Tate told News Limited.

"We have had the Aboriginal All Stars game, we host the International Rugby Sevens. Bringing State of Origin here to the Gold Coast makes a lot of sense.

"If we snag it here, I think it would be bigger than Suncorp (Brisbane)."

http://www.nrl.com/

Bigger than Lang Park? No... Never...