Sydney Trains staff members, Linda Roussel, Anthony Ungaro and Ahmad Wannous getting excited for Bluesday on a train at Central Station / Pic: Bradley Hunter Source: The Daily Telegraph
SYDNEYSIDERS from all walks of life have stepped up their azure Origin preparations and united to paint the town blue for tomorrow night's State of Origin decider.
From train drivers to bakers, police, Sydney Trains staff and office workers, everyone will be showing their true colours via streamers, balloons and jerseys from Coogee to Campbelltown to mark today as Bluesday.
True Blue Sydney Trains staffers are preparing for the barrage of 35,000 fans they will transport to the match at ANZ Stadium.
Customer service representative Linda Roussel said passengers would be pumped and ready.
"I love the crowds, it's a fantastic atmosphere," she said.
"They're all very passionate, I like seeing all the blue afros."
Her colleague Ahmad Wannous said supporters had proudly been wearing their colours all week.
He said he particularly enjoyed seeing young families make the trip to the stadium.
NSW HARDER TO BEAT WITHOUT GALLEN
ORIGIN'S GREATEST SERIES DECIDERS
THE LATEST ORIGIN AND NRL NEWS
Sydney Trains will put on additional services - up to 12 trains an hour from 5pm - to ensure young families looking to arrive early can avoid the rush.
Last-minute stragglers can still make the kick-off with express services until 7.30pm.
Sydney Trains staffer Anthony Ungaro has some solid advice for the squad: "They need to use their forwards even though Gallen is out. They'd better win!"
While the showdown at ANZ is still up for grabs, the Blues may have already chalked up a series win if the interstate battle of the bakers is anything to go by.
There's nothing half-baked about the State of Origin rivalry between Glenorie Bakery, in Sydney's northwest, and Maroon counterparts Quinney's Pies on the Gold Coast, with the pastry professionals locked in a fierce contest to sell the most pies on the eve of game three.
And the good news is the Blues are in front.
Rob Pirina from Glenorie Bakery threw down a statewide challenge to all of Queensland's bakeries, which Quinney's took up.
Mr Pirina said it looked like he would be doing the state proud and to celebrate the imminent win, he created special Blues victory pies.
"Mate, I'm tipping a NSW win," he said. "We've been going really hard here. I think we've sold around 2500 pies.
"We're telling people to come on down and get behind your state."
But Quinney's Pies aren't giving up yet - they are looking for an infamous Maroons comeback to once again break Blue hearts.
With the final siren to sound at noon tomorrow both bakeries are going hell for leather for the chance to be crowned Pie of Origin champion for 2013. In a show of sportsmanship $1 from every pie sold will go to the flood-ravaged bakery Nightingale Pies, in Bundaberg.
Apart from bolstering the city in a blue wave against the northern marauders, the Origin hype is having a big impact on the NSW economy.
Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said Origin was "great news for the NSW economy", with seven matches to be held in Sydney over the next five years."Between 2013 and 2017 the State of Origin will contribute more than $65 million to the state economy," Mr Stoner said.
No comments:
Post a Comment