Build up to the 2022 NRL Grand Final

[Graham]

“The NRLW Grand Final will be honoured with its own Pre-Game Show as powerhouse soul & blues vocalist, Mahalia Barnes, Western Sydney’s new queen of hip-hop & RnB, A.GIRL, and Emma Donovan team up to deliver a re-imagining of iconic Aussie classic, “The Real Thing”.

The NRL Grand Final Pre-Game Show will be headlined by the heart and soul of Australian rock and roll, Jimmy Barnes, with friends including ARIA-winning singer-songwriters, the mighty DIESEL and special guest Josh Teskey, alongside award-winning Indigenous singer-songwriter Emma Donovan. 

Break-out Eurovision 2022 star Sheldon Riley will bring his spectacular style to Accor Stadium with a cinematic and unique performance.

Australian hip-hop legends Bliss n Eso(featuring JOY.) will perform their hit, “Moments”, paying tribute to the game’s retiring players.  

Jimmy Barnes said: “Grand Final Day is a chance for us to all come together and celebrate with the best of the best. I can’t wait to perform with an exciting all-Australian Pre-Game Show line up in front of a full house again.”

I can’t say I’ve heard of any of them, which probably reflects that it’s not aimed at me anyway. It is an “all-Australian Pre/Game Show after all. 
Other people are better qualified than me to reflect on the line-up.

Edited September 24, 2022 by Graham

[Graham]

It’s Panthers v Eels in the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final at Accor Stadium

The Battle of the West will decide the NRL Telstra Premiership at Accor Stadium . . . with the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels the last two teams standing in season 2022.

The Panthers will be striving to go back-to-back and with three straight Grand Final appearances to their credit.

The Parra Eels will be looking to break a 36-year premiership drought, playing in their first Grand Final since 2009.

 

[Irish Saint]

Never heard of any of them. 

AFL had Robbie Williams this morning dedicating Angels to one of Australia's greatest rock stars Shane Warne.

Not  a Robbie Williams fan but at least he's a household name.

Edited September 24, 2022 by Irish Saint

[Sports Prophet]

8 hours ago, Graham said:

 

I can’t say I’ve heard of any of them, which probably reflects that it’s not aimed at me anyway. It is an “all-Australian Pre/Game Show after all. 
Other people are better qualified than me to reflect on the line-up.

 

8 hours ago, Irish Saint said:

Never heard of any of them. 

AFL had Robbie Williams this morning dedicating Angels to one of Australia's greatest rock stars Shane Warne.

Not  a Robbie Williams fan but at least he's a household name.

Jimmy Barnes is Aussie Rock loyalty, formally of Cold Chisel. Every Aussie knows him. If you can’t get into Cold Chisel, there is little hope for you (Johnny) Diesel is a great Aussie soloist from a similar era. Most Aussies over 30 will know of him.

As to the rest of them…

[Anita Bath]

I think you meant royality, not loyality!

Yes just as their fauna are unique to Australia so are their musicians, with the exception of the now sadly departed ONJ and Judith Durham and some molester hopefully still doing time at his majesty’s pleasure.

And the Bee Gees were from UK despite Redcliffes attempts to call them their own.

 

[Graham]

[Farmduck]

On 25/09/2022 at 17:28, Anita Bath said:

I think you meant royality, not loyality!

Yes just as their fauna are unique to Australia so are their musicians, with the exception of the now sadly departed ONJ and Judith Durham and some molester hopefully still doing time at his majesty’s pleasure.

And the Bee Gees were from UK despite Redcliffes attempts to call them their own.

 

Jimmy Barnes was born in Glasgow. Diesel (Mark Lizotte) is Jimmy's brother-in-law and Mahalia Barnes is Jimmy's daughter. Diesel was born in the USA and migrated here when he was 5.

The rest? who knows

As for a battle of the West, Penrith and Parramatta are just outlying wannabe suburbs of Blacktown. They dream of glory only so they can sublimate their endless feelings of inferiority towards Blacktown.

[DavidM]

A lot of Australian music you hear showcased on stuff we see is horrendous and just a loud awful noise… then again i think a lot what goes for music here is horrendous awful noise 

Edited September 27, 2022 by DavidM

[Anita Bath]

7 hours ago, Farmduck said:

Jimmy Barnes was born in Glasgow. Diesel (Mark Lizotte) is Jimmy's brother-in-law and Mahalia Barnes is Jimmy's daughter. Diesel was born in the USA and migrated here when he was 5.

The rest? who knows

As for a battle of the West, Penrith and Parramatta are just outlying wannabe suburbs of Blacktown. They dream of glory only so they can sublimate their endless feelings of inferiority towards Blacktown.

Generally I would be supportive but having taken the shilling from the Northern Beaches Sea eagles its hard to think how anything Blacktown do could be more inferior

[Anita Bath]

14 hours ago, Farmduck said:

Jimmy Barnes was born in Glasgow. Diesel (Mark Lizotte) is Jimmy's brother-in-law and Mahalia Barnes is Jimmy's daughter. Diesel was born in the USA and migrated here when he was 5.

The rest? who knows

As for a battle of the West, Penrith and Parramatta are just outlying wannabe suburbs of Blacktown. They dream of glory only so they can sublimate their endless feelings of inferiority towards Blacktown.

Dr Jimmy Barnes if you please….today he received an honorary doctorate by University of South Australia

[Futtocks]

A shame that The Angels are no longer the band they were with Doc Neeson up front. It'd be tremendously heartwarming to hear the traditional crowd response to Am I ever gonna see your Face again? from a packed stadium.

[Graham]

The stadium holds 83,500 people and it is expected that the attendance will be near capacity after the news of a sell-out.

Eels and Panthers fans who missed out on tickets will be able to purchase tickets and attend 'live sites' at CommBank Stadium and Penrith Leagues Club. 

[George Watt]

Looking forward to attending my last GF after going to them all bar one since arriving in Aus in late 1968. Only one I missed was due to not being able to get to Suncorp in 2020 due to Covid travel restrictions.

Could not bring down the curtain better than a first ever Panthers/Eels derby GF.

My favourite 3 games during this period would start with the very first I saw in 1969 when Balmain beat a great Souths team with tactics masterminded by ex Wigan player Dave Bolton in a team minus suspended Big Artie but incuding ex St Helens player Len Killeen.

Was a Sharks supporter when Cronulla took on Manly in 1973 in a massively bruising battle at the SCG. Tommy Bishop and Cliff Watson were not enough to beat the brilliance of Bob Fulton after Cronulla managed to nobble Mal Reilly early in the game.

Number 3 would be the game between Melbourne and St George in 1999 before  a world record RL crowd of 118K at the new Sydney Olympic Stadium. Significant for me as I was in England in 1954 to experience the CC final replay between Warrington and Halifax at Odsal which set the previous record of over 100K.

As a Panthers ticket holder since 2000 my winning preference is obvious but I would not be too unhappy to see the Eels win.

[Anita Bath]

Sad your run will end this year. You will have so many memories.

 

What about West Tigers v Cowboys…..that had everything, and canberra v balmain?

 

I dont go back as far as you so cannot challenge you in those earlier finals.

 

I wasnt at the Manly v cronulla final but have a vinyl recording of Ray Warren calling the game. Superb. And the post match interviews, Manly captain Fred Jones in his gruff sydney accent followed by the one and only tommy bishop in his unmissable st helens twang.

What is the worst final you have seen? Id have to say 2000 roosters v brisbane.

[George Watt]

12 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

Sad your run will end this year. You will have so many memories.

 

What about West Tigers v Cowboys…..that had everything, and canberra v balmain?

 

I dont go back as far as you so cannot challenge you in those earlier finals.

 

I wasnt at the Manly v cronulla final but have a vinyl recording of Ray Warren calling the game. Superb. And the post match interviews, Manly captain Fred Jones in his gruff sydney accent followed by the one and only tommy bishop in his unmissable st helens twang.

What is the worst final you have seen? Id have to say 2000 roosters v brisbane.

Thanks for that. Most disappointing GF I saw was back in 1975 when Easts beat St George 38-0. Known as the 'white boots GF' which were worn by the legend Graham Langlands. He  had a pre match pain injection which caused among other side effects a numb leg, resulting in him being a passenger for the whole game.

Langlands was a favourite player of mine who I first saw play in the first Ashes match played at Wembley in 1963 when the Aussies hammered GB and Langland's teammate Reg Gasnier scored a hat trick.

[bobbruce]

Some of the finest out of sync miming I’ve ever seen so far. 

[Jughead]

Maybe not having a band at Old Trafford wasn’t a bad thing. These are bobbins. 

[Sports Prophet]

A greater percentage of the older generations I speak to about entertainment at a footy game will tell me that pre/post match entertainment doesn’t matter and the fans attend for the game.

I actually disagree with those sentiments. Now the GF would have been a sell out without any entertainment, but the experience the fans on the pitch with Jimmy Barnes right now are having an amazing time.

To take it back to the regular season and I am positive that the pre and post match entertainment and presentation of a match itself turns the curious into the interested, a tag along, into an up front purchaser, and three games a year supporters into members.

[EastLondonMike]

For me these type pf pre match and half time events are as much about projecting a perception of status as they are about entertaining the fans.

Aussies do love Jimmy Barnes though. 

[Futtocks]

You could never, at any point in Barnesy's career, doubt his effort and enthusiasm. But his range has shrunk to less than an octave over the years.

Edited October 2, 2022 by Futtocks

[Futtocks]

The BBC are broadcasting the ABC's radio commentary from 9:30am on Five Live Sports Extra.