CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Tonight’s clash between the NRL’s two lowest ranked clubs – the Parramatta Eels and the Wests Tigers – has become a blockbuster event. It’s all about who will avoid the wooden spoon.
Or win it?
Nobody is actually sure what is being played for here. Is the goal to be the shittest team in the club, or do you want to be the team that beats that team?
Either way, appearing in a sold out ‘Spoon Bowl’ is a far higher honour than being one of those bottom eight sides who don’t appear in ‘Spoon Bowl’.
And for the tortured supporters of these clubs, being able to hysterically cheer for their team in such a meaningless, low-stakes match – makes for a very therapeutic coping mechanism.
In fact, it’s not just the Tigers and Eels fans that are heading to Campbelltown tonight, fans from all over the competition will be making the journey through peak hour Sydney traffic just for the fuck of it.
In true Spoon Bowl fashion, this event is taking place in the inconveniently deep rural suburban fringe of Sydney’s South-West, with players taking to the field less than an hour after close of business.
Of course the opportunity to host this match at the roaring Leichardt Oval, with Parramatta just down the road, and a billion pubs within walking distance, on a Friday evening, was just too good of an idea for the NRL.
But such is the excitement around the 2024 Spoon Bowl, it seems even Campbelltown Stadium has been sold out since halfway through the week.
This now means droves of Sydney’s inner-city Tigers fans must find a way from the trendy inner-west to the gritty south-west. It’s a road less travelled by the graphic designers and food writers.
But still, such is the sadistic commitment to cheering their dirty merger club, the Balmain side of the Wests Tigers conglomerate will be making their way out to the Campbelltown HQ.
And it ain’t gonna be on the new Metro Line that was unveiled in Sydney last week
“What the hell is this hunk of shit?!” says 2nd-generation Balmainian, Rowe Zell (45, advertising copywriter)
“Is this like one of those vintage steam trains they take out to the Blue Mountains?”
“Will this rattling silver bullet even fucking get us to Spoon Bowl?”
