Granty
11-05-2006, 07:16 AM
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19092990-5003409,00.html
Five-star Maroons
Steve Ricketts
May 11, 2006
"CAMP Maroon" on the Sunshine Coast could be the Queensland team's trump card in its bid to win back the State of Origin title held by NSW for past three years.
Queensland will be based at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Coolum resort for most of its camps leading up to Origins I and II in Sydney and Brisbane on May 24 and June 14 respectively.
Trainer Billy Johnstone is keen to reduce the travel component in camp and has supervised the laying out of a training field at one of the resort's practice tees.
Each player also will be provided with a bike to cycle to the beach from the resort.
For Origin III in Melbourne on July 5, the Queensland and NSW sides will spend the entire nine-day build-up in the Victorian capital as part of a deal struck with the ARL and the Victorian Government to maximise publicity for the clash at Telstra Dome and boost the profile of the code in Australian rules heartland.
The Sunshine Coast camp smacks of "Camp Wallaby", the Australian rugby union team's training base at a Coffs Harbour resort on the NSW North Coast.
Traditionally the Queensland side is based in Brisbane although there have been one and two-night stays on the Gold Coast.
But this year Brisbane fans will have few glimpses of the Maroons under new coach Mal Meninga. The Queensland team for Origin I will be named at Coolum on Monday with the players assembling at the resort almost at the same time as their names are read out by QRL chairman John McDonald.
The only time the team will come to Brisbane before Origin I is tomorrow week when it attends the annual Castlemaine Club lunch at the XXXX Brewery.
Maryborough is the venue of this year's "Fan Day" on Wednesday with Queensland staying overnight in the Wide Bay city before returning to Coolum.
Queensland will leave for Sydney on Tuesday week and complete its training with a closed session on match eve.
In the build-up to Origin II at Suncorp Stadium on June 14 Queensland will spend six nights at Coolum before moving to Brisbane on match eve.
QRL managing director Ross Livermore said Meninga was keen to try something different and he had the full backing of the League.
Livermore, a critic of the ARL's decision to hold the first three days of the Test camp in Sydney last week instead of host city Brisbane, said Origin II at Suncorp Stadium did not need promoting.
"It has been sold out for ages and it's not as if our blokes are heading interstate," he said.
"The crowd (44,191) for last Friday's Test was great but maybe it could have been better if the Australian team was here all week."
Livermore said this year's crowd on top of 40,317 for last year's trans-Tasman clash presented a strong argument for Suncorp Stadium to be the permanent home for the match.
"It's something that could be raised at the next ARL meeting," he said.
Five-star Maroons
Steve Ricketts
May 11, 2006
"CAMP Maroon" on the Sunshine Coast could be the Queensland team's trump card in its bid to win back the State of Origin title held by NSW for past three years.
Queensland will be based at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Coolum resort for most of its camps leading up to Origins I and II in Sydney and Brisbane on May 24 and June 14 respectively.
Trainer Billy Johnstone is keen to reduce the travel component in camp and has supervised the laying out of a training field at one of the resort's practice tees.
Each player also will be provided with a bike to cycle to the beach from the resort.
For Origin III in Melbourne on July 5, the Queensland and NSW sides will spend the entire nine-day build-up in the Victorian capital as part of a deal struck with the ARL and the Victorian Government to maximise publicity for the clash at Telstra Dome and boost the profile of the code in Australian rules heartland.
The Sunshine Coast camp smacks of "Camp Wallaby", the Australian rugby union team's training base at a Coffs Harbour resort on the NSW North Coast.
Traditionally the Queensland side is based in Brisbane although there have been one and two-night stays on the Gold Coast.
But this year Brisbane fans will have few glimpses of the Maroons under new coach Mal Meninga. The Queensland team for Origin I will be named at Coolum on Monday with the players assembling at the resort almost at the same time as their names are read out by QRL chairman John McDonald.
The only time the team will come to Brisbane before Origin I is tomorrow week when it attends the annual Castlemaine Club lunch at the XXXX Brewery.
Maryborough is the venue of this year's "Fan Day" on Wednesday with Queensland staying overnight in the Wide Bay city before returning to Coolum.
Queensland will leave for Sydney on Tuesday week and complete its training with a closed session on match eve.
In the build-up to Origin II at Suncorp Stadium on June 14 Queensland will spend six nights at Coolum before moving to Brisbane on match eve.
QRL managing director Ross Livermore said Meninga was keen to try something different and he had the full backing of the League.
Livermore, a critic of the ARL's decision to hold the first three days of the Test camp in Sydney last week instead of host city Brisbane, said Origin II at Suncorp Stadium did not need promoting.
"It has been sold out for ages and it's not as if our blokes are heading interstate," he said.
"The crowd (44,191) for last Friday's Test was great but maybe it could have been better if the Australian team was here all week."
Livermore said this year's crowd on top of 40,317 for last year's trans-Tasman clash presented a strong argument for Suncorp Stadium to be the permanent home for the match.
"It's something that could be raised at the next ARL meeting," he said.