Broncos vs Tigers

Both of us have been having a bit of cold/flu issues this week, so Kara stayed home from tonight's game. We sent out free ticket offers to friends via text, Twitter and Facebook, but there were no takers. So I went in to the game on my own, layered against the cold. T-shirt under my jersey, fleece-lined jeans, and a beanie.

Beanie on my head, metal on my headphones.

As I was about to head out, Mum dropped by to deliver some scrapbooking stuff to Kara. Instead of walking or bussing, I was able to get a ride to the train station with her. And she insisted that I take a jumper with me because it would be cold. Even though I was quite warm already, I took my fleece too. At the game I was fine. After the game, around 9 pm, she was right. The lesson is: listen to your mother. Clearly.

I stayed well behind it.

Just in time for the all-stops-to-the-city train!

The Brisbane Broncos last won a game on 17 May, so it was high time for a win, which I was hoping for against the lower-on-the-ladder Wests Tigers.

I don't know if it was the cold or the fact that it was a Monday night game, but our row was unusually empty! This did make heading out to the aisle for a beer refill at half-time a lot easier.

Nowhere near a full stadium.

The Tigers scored the first try, leading 6-0 after five minutes. Just over ten minutes later, Matt Gillett scored for the Broncos, right in our corner. After Scott Prince's kick, the scores were tied 6-6.

Team congratulations, moments after Gillett (# 12) grounded the ball in front of our section.

Jack Reed scored a try in the opposite corner, and then a hit on Ben Hannant led to a penalty goal easily taken by Prince. Josh Hoffman scored in the final minute of the first half, which left the scores at 16-6 to Brisbane at half-time.

If you wear the other team's jersey in the front row, expect to get heckled by the mascot!
Conversely, if you work as a mascot, expect to get heckled by visiting fans with front-row seats...

More tries from the Broncos came in the second half, and it was looking like the Tigers would remain at 6 on the scoreboard, until a 76th-minute effort brought them up to 12 to the Broncos' 26. The Broncos replied with Hoffman scoring his second last-minute-of-the-half try of the game, with Scott Prince kicking for goal as the siren sounded. Full-time: Broncos 32, Tigers 12.

The Broncos acknowledging their fans with claps and waves after the game.

Part of our "XXXX Fanatics" Broncos Membership being brewery-sponsored is drinks vouchers. We get one free drink (yes, it has to be XXXX) at one of the pubs near the stadium each game day. I didn't get to the game early enough for a drink beforehand, so I went after instead. A little quieter post-game on a Monday night than after the usual Friday night matches.

My free beer, in a plastic cup.

My free beer was followed by a paid-for James Squire amber ale, because they had it on tap and it tastes nice. Then I headed back to the city to catch a train home.

Rugged up against the cold walk back to the train.

A pedestrian crossing leading to nowhere meant I had to wait for breaks in traffic to cross Milton Road.

I caught a Gold Coast train, which runs mostly express to Loganlea station, and then I just had to cross platforms and wait for the next city-bound train for the two-stop journey north back to Woodridge. There would've been about six people on the train, and two of those were the security guards.

What a train to the city looks like after 11pm.

Video highlights of the game are online at the NRL website. I'm not sure about the full game coverage, but as far as the highlight reel shows, I didn't make it on TV this week.