No time for a hose down: NRL double-header poses logistical challenge bigger than Magic Round
It is shaping up as one of the biggest logistical challenges in Suncorp Stadium's history, but organisers are confident they can pull off this month's NRL double-header.
The Dolphins' cyclone-affected fixture against South Sydney has been rescheduled for 7.50pm on Saturday, June 28 – just a few hours after the Broncos v Warriors match, with its 3pm kick-off, is due to end.
Given they will be two distinct crowds, as many as 100,000 could pass through the stadium precinct on the day – almost double an Origin crowd. That could make it Caxton Street's biggest day in years.
Traders are at the same time salivating at the potential revenue, and apprehensive about the challenge ahead.
'I think Castlemaine Brewery better start pumping some beer quickly, because they're going to be cleaned out again after they got wiped out over the Magic Round,' Caxton Street Development Association president Sarosh Mehta said.
Mehta, who ran the erstwhile Casablanca club on the famous strip for years, said Caxton Street's reputation would be 'on the line' as it heaved under the weight of two Suncorp Stadium crowds.
'We'll just have to take a deep breath and just try our best,' he said.
'I will try my best to get across to every single trader on the street to say please, please, please, be prepared – get sure you have enough stock, staff, whatever it takes, because there's no way you're going to run up to the market to get more ice or whatever else.
'You better be damn prepared.'
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The Advertiser
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- The Advertiser
Olympic golden girl surfaces from dark hole
Swim star Mollie O'Callaghan has emerged from a self-described dark hole to prove she can remain a world-beater. O'Callaghan has posted the fastest women's 100m freestyle time this year - 52.87 seconds - at Australia's selection trials for the looming world titles. The 21-year-old who already boasts five Olympic gold medals has battled a post-Paris let-down, injury and illness in a troubled preparation for the trials. "I have learnt so much mentally this time ... there was a lot of setbacks," O'Callaghan said after her Friday night feat. "You have to always step in that dark place to get the best out of your self. "That's what sport is about, it's putting yourself in that hole to see how mentally strong you are - and I've definitely done that this season." O'Callaghan took five months off after being Australia's most successful athlete at last year's Olympic Games when winning three gold medals plus a silver and bronze. After the journey of self-discovery to find an identity outside of swimming, she returned to the pool but suffered a knee injury, then illness, ahead of the trials for the world titles in Singapore starting July 27. "You can't really predict injury, you can't predict sickness, you can't predict any of that," O'Callaghan said. "You can try and prevent it all you want but sometimes those things just happen and it's just how you look at it. "There was a lot of tears. But in the long run, I have learnt so much about myself and I wouldn't change a thing." Her bumpy preparation is something compatriot Zac Stubblety-Cook can relate to after he secured his spot on the Dolphins team for the worlds. Stubblety-Cook won his 200m breaststroke final in two minutes 09.09 seconds. The time was well shy of his personal best of 2.05.95, which was a world record when set in 2022 until broken by China's Qin Haiyang a year later. An Olympic gold medallist in the event at the Tokyo Games of 2021 and silver medallist last year in Paris, Stubblety-Cook was pragmatic about his latest performance. "Last year, I had a lot of time off and a lot of time to reflect and see where I was at - and make sure I really wanted to commit to the next four years," he said. "And it's year one out of four so we're taking it much more as a four-year approach (to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics)." In the men's 200m backstroke, Josh Edwards-Smith (1:56.94) and Brad Woodward (1:57.14) earnt selection for the worlds. In the women's 200m breaststroke, Ella Ramsay (2:23.92) and Tara Kinder (2:24.61) also made the team. And Sam Short's return to form continued with victory in the men's 1500m freestyle - he touched in 14:52.43, just 0.56 seconds ahead of fellow 21-year-old Ben Goedemans. Swim star Mollie O'Callaghan has emerged from a self-described dark hole to prove she can remain a world-beater. O'Callaghan has posted the fastest women's 100m freestyle time this year - 52.87 seconds - at Australia's selection trials for the looming world titles. The 21-year-old who already boasts five Olympic gold medals has battled a post-Paris let-down, injury and illness in a troubled preparation for the trials. "I have learnt so much mentally this time ... there was a lot of setbacks," O'Callaghan said after her Friday night feat. "You have to always step in that dark place to get the best out of your self. "That's what sport is about, it's putting yourself in that hole to see how mentally strong you are - and I've definitely done that this season." O'Callaghan took five months off after being Australia's most successful athlete at last year's Olympic Games when winning three gold medals plus a silver and bronze. After the journey of self-discovery to find an identity outside of swimming, she returned to the pool but suffered a knee injury, then illness, ahead of the trials for the world titles in Singapore starting July 27. "You can't really predict injury, you can't predict sickness, you can't predict any of that," O'Callaghan said. "You can try and prevent it all you want but sometimes those things just happen and it's just how you look at it. "There was a lot of tears. But in the long run, I have learnt so much about myself and I wouldn't change a thing." Her bumpy preparation is something compatriot Zac Stubblety-Cook can relate to after he secured his spot on the Dolphins team for the worlds. Stubblety-Cook won his 200m breaststroke final in two minutes 09.09 seconds. The time was well shy of his personal best of 2.05.95, which was a world record when set in 2022 until broken by China's Qin Haiyang a year later. An Olympic gold medallist in the event at the Tokyo Games of 2021 and silver medallist last year in Paris, Stubblety-Cook was pragmatic about his latest performance. "Last year, I had a lot of time off and a lot of time to reflect and see where I was at - and make sure I really wanted to commit to the next four years," he said. "And it's year one out of four so we're taking it much more as a four-year approach (to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics)." In the men's 200m backstroke, Josh Edwards-Smith (1:56.94) and Brad Woodward (1:57.14) earnt selection for the worlds. In the women's 200m breaststroke, Ella Ramsay (2:23.92) and Tara Kinder (2:24.61) also made the team. And Sam Short's return to form continued with victory in the men's 1500m freestyle - he touched in 14:52.43, just 0.56 seconds ahead of fellow 21-year-old Ben Goedemans. Swim star Mollie O'Callaghan has emerged from a self-described dark hole to prove she can remain a world-beater. O'Callaghan has posted the fastest women's 100m freestyle time this year - 52.87 seconds - at Australia's selection trials for the looming world titles. The 21-year-old who already boasts five Olympic gold medals has battled a post-Paris let-down, injury and illness in a troubled preparation for the trials. "I have learnt so much mentally this time ... there was a lot of setbacks," O'Callaghan said after her Friday night feat. "You have to always step in that dark place to get the best out of your self. "That's what sport is about, it's putting yourself in that hole to see how mentally strong you are - and I've definitely done that this season." O'Callaghan took five months off after being Australia's most successful athlete at last year's Olympic Games when winning three gold medals plus a silver and bronze. After the journey of self-discovery to find an identity outside of swimming, she returned to the pool but suffered a knee injury, then illness, ahead of the trials for the world titles in Singapore starting July 27. "You can't really predict injury, you can't predict sickness, you can't predict any of that," O'Callaghan said. "You can try and prevent it all you want but sometimes those things just happen and it's just how you look at it. "There was a lot of tears. But in the long run, I have learnt so much about myself and I wouldn't change a thing." Her bumpy preparation is something compatriot Zac Stubblety-Cook can relate to after he secured his spot on the Dolphins team for the worlds. Stubblety-Cook won his 200m breaststroke final in two minutes 09.09 seconds. The time was well shy of his personal best of 2.05.95, which was a world record when set in 2022 until broken by China's Qin Haiyang a year later. An Olympic gold medallist in the event at the Tokyo Games of 2021 and silver medallist last year in Paris, Stubblety-Cook was pragmatic about his latest performance. "Last year, I had a lot of time off and a lot of time to reflect and see where I was at - and make sure I really wanted to commit to the next four years," he said. "And it's year one out of four so we're taking it much more as a four-year approach (to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics)." In the men's 200m backstroke, Josh Edwards-Smith (1:56.94) and Brad Woodward (1:57.14) earnt selection for the worlds. In the women's 200m breaststroke, Ella Ramsay (2:23.92) and Tara Kinder (2:24.61) also made the team. And Sam Short's return to form continued with victory in the men's 1500m freestyle - he touched in 14:52.43, just 0.56 seconds ahead of fellow 21-year-old Ben Goedemans.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
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Legendary coach accepts para swimmer for first time
Tom Gallagher senses his duty after becoming the first para swimmer accepted into the program of legendary coach Dean Boxall. Gallagher is among a 25-strong Australian squad for the world para swimming championships in Singapore from September 21-27. The 26-year-old freestyler and backstroker, who has cerebral palsy and races in S10 events, joined Boxall only five weeks ago. "It's a very big honour for me, to be the first para swimmer under Dean," Gallagher told AAP on Friday night. "It's also a responsibility to represent the para community with pride and show that we don't have any limitations. "If I can do the hardest program in Australia, why can't anyone else?" Gallagher, who has won one gold and three bronze medals from his two Paralympics, approached Boxall, who coaches star able-bodied swimmers including Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O'Callaghan. "I just reached out ... and they let me in five weeks ago," he said. "It has changed the game for me. It has made me fall in love again with swimming. "It has been the hardest five weeks of training in my life but I have loved every second of it. "The squad there, the support staff, Dean - it's just the perfect environment. "And to be surrounded by the best athletes in the world, it's unbelievable and it gets the best out of myself." Australia's para team for the looming worlds includes 17-year-old rookie Declan Budd and 22 swimmers who raced at last year's Paris Paralympics. The Paris opening ceremony flag bearer, Brenden Hall, will compete at his fifth and final world titles in Singapore. The Dolphins' para team also features Ben Hance, who broke his own world record in the 100m backstroke (S14) at the Adelaide trials. Hance set a fresh benchmark of 56.35 seconds in a heat swim on Friday morning. Tom Gallagher senses his duty after becoming the first para swimmer accepted into the program of legendary coach Dean Boxall. Gallagher is among a 25-strong Australian squad for the world para swimming championships in Singapore from September 21-27. The 26-year-old freestyler and backstroker, who has cerebral palsy and races in S10 events, joined Boxall only five weeks ago. "It's a very big honour for me, to be the first para swimmer under Dean," Gallagher told AAP on Friday night. "It's also a responsibility to represent the para community with pride and show that we don't have any limitations. "If I can do the hardest program in Australia, why can't anyone else?" Gallagher, who has won one gold and three bronze medals from his two Paralympics, approached Boxall, who coaches star able-bodied swimmers including Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O'Callaghan. "I just reached out ... and they let me in five weeks ago," he said. "It has changed the game for me. It has made me fall in love again with swimming. "It has been the hardest five weeks of training in my life but I have loved every second of it. "The squad there, the support staff, Dean - it's just the perfect environment. "And to be surrounded by the best athletes in the world, it's unbelievable and it gets the best out of myself." Australia's para team for the looming worlds includes 17-year-old rookie Declan Budd and 22 swimmers who raced at last year's Paris Paralympics. The Paris opening ceremony flag bearer, Brenden Hall, will compete at his fifth and final world titles in Singapore. The Dolphins' para team also features Ben Hance, who broke his own world record in the 100m backstroke (S14) at the Adelaide trials. Hance set a fresh benchmark of 56.35 seconds in a heat swim on Friday morning. Tom Gallagher senses his duty after becoming the first para swimmer accepted into the program of legendary coach Dean Boxall. Gallagher is among a 25-strong Australian squad for the world para swimming championships in Singapore from September 21-27. The 26-year-old freestyler and backstroker, who has cerebral palsy and races in S10 events, joined Boxall only five weeks ago. "It's a very big honour for me, to be the first para swimmer under Dean," Gallagher told AAP on Friday night. "It's also a responsibility to represent the para community with pride and show that we don't have any limitations. "If I can do the hardest program in Australia, why can't anyone else?" Gallagher, who has won one gold and three bronze medals from his two Paralympics, approached Boxall, who coaches star able-bodied swimmers including Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O'Callaghan. "I just reached out ... and they let me in five weeks ago," he said. "It has changed the game for me. It has made me fall in love again with swimming. "It has been the hardest five weeks of training in my life but I have loved every second of it. "The squad there, the support staff, Dean - it's just the perfect environment. "And to be surrounded by the best athletes in the world, it's unbelievable and it gets the best out of myself." Australia's para team for the looming worlds includes 17-year-old rookie Declan Budd and 22 swimmers who raced at last year's Paris Paralympics. The Paris opening ceremony flag bearer, Brenden Hall, will compete at his fifth and final world titles in Singapore. The Dolphins' para team also features Ben Hance, who broke his own world record in the 100m backstroke (S14) at the Adelaide trials. Hance set a fresh benchmark of 56.35 seconds in a heat swim on Friday morning.
7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Knife twisted as Daly Cherry-Evans' ‘tough' week gets even worse as Manly go down to Gold Coast
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