The NRL took Rugby League to Western Australia during last weeks long weekend, in a move that hopes to bolster Rugby League’s interest & participation on the West Coast.
Two games of NRL were played in a magic weekend at Optus Stadium, Roosters vs Sharks and the exciting Rabbitohs vs Canberra Raiders.
A crowd of 40,000 braved the brave Perth heat to watch two high scoring games, that also tested to see the current appeal of playing NRL games under the AFL dominant view of a Western Australian crowd.
The first game featured a high scoring game featuring Raiders vs Rabbitohs, a game that finished at 36-34. Both sides exchanged the lead in a high scoring contest, in which try’s were aplenty. The game was largely determined by a moment of brilliance in the second half, where Kiwi Kaoe weekes pounced on a South Sydney knock on, going the length of the field, 80 metres or so, beating 5-6 players in the process to put Canberra the lead.
The Rabbitohs finished with a late flurry of points with Try’s to Mitchell, Wighton and Johnson late in the game to make it a 2 point contest, going close on the final play at 80 mins.
The game was followed by Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla, while not as exciting as the first game, still had the locals partying in the stands at full time. [Scoreline needed].
Plenty of merchantdise was on display for the incoming Perth Bears, who by Full Time were sold out of any official gear. The fans donned Bears’ supporter shirts, caps and even Jerseys of the re-branded North Sydney club of the 90’s in what could only be seen as a positive of the NRL moving a club to Perth – The Bears will enter in the competition 2027.
The Perth heat would have left some players, and fans, going for a drinks break at Quarter Time during the day, however for the locals, it was a solid day of NRL on display for neutral fans and NRL supporters enjoying their Rugby League in Perth.