“It’s not a country town anymore.”
That’s what one of my countless Uber drivers, Leo, told me during the lead-up to State of Origin in Brisbane, as the city prepares to celebrate their state’s rugby league heroes.
Gone are the days, he tells me, of people only visiting the great ‘BrisVegas’ as a stop-over for their more exciting holidays on the Gold Coast.
Nowadays, this is a city on the rise and one of the biggest reasons behind it is the growing success both on and off the field from a sporting perspective.
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Brisbane is hot off the heels of earning the rights to host the 2023 Olympic Games, making it the third major city in Australia to hold the world’s marquee sporting event.
With nine years until the world’s best athletes arrive, there will be countless jobs created to prepare for the Olympics and a massive boost to the state’s economy and tourism is surely on the horizon as well.
In the world of the AFL, Brisbane Lions are sitting pretty in the top-four and could be poised for a premiership tilt this season.
There has also been success on the cricket front, with both the Brisbane Heat and Queensland’s Sheffield Shield teams qualifying for the finals last summer.
But for Brisbane to truly anoint itself as Australia’s number-one sporting city and take that mantle away from Melbourne or Sydney – depending on who you ask – they needed a resurgence on the rugby league field.
Rugby league success pushing Brisbane into sporting greatness
It’s taken a while, but the Brisbane Broncos are back in business.
The club had to endure a number of lean years, including a wooden spoon and multiple coaching changes, before finally climbing back to the top of the NRL landscape in 2023.
Adam Reynolds has given them much-needed stability in the No.7 jumper, Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam have given them youthful exuberance and a glimpse into the future, while the impact of Patrick Carrigan and Payne Haas in the middle of the field can’t be denied.
The change in fortunes on the field has led to significant off-field success as well. Brisbane sits atop the NRL for memberships with over 40,000 sign-ups this year and there aren’t too many main streets in the city without banners of Haas or Carrigan flying high.
And then there’s the Dolphins, who might not be referred to as hailing from any specific region – but we all know they are from Redcliffe and their fanbase resides in the greater Brisbane area.
While the Broncos are an established brand and are turning things around on the field, the emergence of the NRL’s newest franchise has made things even more interesting and exciting the River City.
Wayne Bennett’s side haven’t even been in the top grade for a whole season, yet already have more members than every club excluding the Broncos, Rabbitohs and Storm, attracting close to 26,000 sign-ups in their debut campaign.
Add in the annual Magic Round event, which brings in supporters from all over the country, and it’s clear that rugby league is bigger than ever in Brisbane.
NRL success is one thing – but the biggest spectacle in the 13-man code is Origin and that was evidenced by the buzz around town leading into Game II.
There were never questions about what game was on or who was playing from people around town. It was more akin to those in the United States prior to the Super Bowl, who would simply refer to it as the game.
Queensland could have easily fallen off a cliff at Origin level after the retirements of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk over the past five years.
Instead, they have come away with surprise series wins in 2020 and 2022, and the appointment of Slater as their head coach has them primed for a new dynasty that will have supporters licking their lips and naming their future kids Reece, Valentine, Jeremiah or Hamiso after the current crop of stars.
“I’m not comparing it to any other era – they are just getting started,” Slater told the media prior to the game.
“They’ve created a great foundation to their footy and I’m talking about their footy. You could probably throw their connection off the field in that as well.
“I just feel that they are just getting started with the foundation of their game, and once you get that, then you can start growing different tentacles off that.
“They are good mates, there’s a great connection within the group and you get that when you go through the adversity they have gone through over the past four games.
“That creates connected and friendship and bonds – they have got that.”
Of the 17 players that will take the field against the Blues on Wednesday night, a dozen of them are 25 years of age or younger, while the likes of Cameron Munster and Valentine Holme could still have more Origin football ahead of them than behind them.
While a dynasty isn’t on the minds of Slater and company right now, they are certainly on track for sustained success against the Blues and that will only keep Brisbane – and the entire state – at the top of the rugby league and sporting world.
Suncorp Stadium is more than just a stadium
Even on Tuesday morning when I wandered into the sacred ground formerly known as Lang Park for the first time in over 15 years, I could just feel the aura.
It might sound silly to say or to read, but everything about the stadium feels truly special.
Slater – who wasn’t keen to buy into the hype around the Queensland fans proving the difference against NSW – even admitted how special this ground is, having run out for his state on 31 occasions during his playing career.
“They make a difference to the atmosphere – it’s incredible," he said.
"I was fortunate enough to play here as a Queenslander and feel that emotion and the atmosphere of the crowd… last year was very special in Game III.”
The fact that the city’s two rugby league franchises – Broncos and Dolphins – both get to call this cauldron their home is a massive bonus.
It’s true – Queenslanders just ‘get’ State of Origin
It’s tough to say as someone who has been born and raised in Sydney – but the Queenslanders just seem to care a lot more about Origin than most people down south.
In the days leading up to the all-important game, I spotted people from all walks of life – boys, girls, blokes, women, old, young – donning their Maroons or Broncos merchandise.
As I sat in 'The Caxton' 24 hours before Origin, the entire pub was filled with Maroons memorabilia and fans donning their gear. There was a vibe around town that you don’t get for any other sporting event in this country.
If you’re from Sydney, can you honestly say the same if you walked through the CBD, Bondi, Manly, Cronulla or out west? Of course not, and there’s nothing wrong with that - it's just different up here.
Origin is more than just three games each year to the people of Queensland, and this immense passion they display for sport is just one reason why Brisbane has every right to call themselves the sporting capital of Australia.
This city cares more about sport than we do in Sydney. I can’t speak on Melbourne – other than anyone living there telling you just how amazing it supposedly is – but the fact they focus on AFL instead of the greatest game of all is their loss.
I love supporting NSW and I always will. Sydney will always be my home, and I’ll always continue my love-hate relationship with the struggling Dragons.
But as for rugby league and sporting culture, it’s truly hard to top the rise of Brisbane.
