ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
In an unexpected twist to the NRL State of Origin series, a prediction has emerged from beyond the grave, courtesy of the renowned blind Romanian mystic, Baba Vanga. According to the whispers of her followers, Baba Vanga has foretold another crushing defeat for the NSW Blues at Suncorp Stadium, their perennial house of horrors.
Baba Vanga, born Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova in 1911, was a Bulgarian mystic and clairvoyant. Despite losing her sight at the age of 12 during a massive storm, Baba Vanga gained fame for her supposed ability to predict future events if you are a person who subscribes to that sort of thing.
But little known outside her predictions is her passion for Australian rugby league. Baba Vanga, or “Vanga Bunny” as she’s affectionately known among locals, developed a love for the game after a chance encounter with a Rabbitohs match on a grainy old television set. Being blind and unable to eat solid food, she found solace in Souths, which she claimed helped her “see” the world in a different light.
Local rugby league fanatic, Darren O’Connor, shared his thoughts over a pint at the Lord Kidman Hotel.
“Mate, it’s no surprise, is it?” said O’Connor, shaking his head.
“That old duck’s got it right again. Those silly Blues can’t catch a break at Suncorp. It’s like trying to find a wife at a Subaru Owners’ Club meetup. You’d have more chance standing outside the Lady Lockup at Wacol on a Tuesday morning with a bouquet of Woolies tulips waiting for the husband killers to walk out the door after 15 years.”
Local Betoota Heights resident and die-hard Maroons supporter, Sheila Andrews, couldn’t hide her excitement.
“Baba Vanga’s just confirming what we already know,” Sheila said with a grin.
“Suncorp is our Stalingrad. The Tweed is the Rubicon. The Blues are walking into a lion’s den, and they’re gonna to get turned into lion poo [sic], as usual.”
As the game day approaches, tension between NSW and Queensland fans is reaching fever pitch. Whether Baba Vanga’s prophecy holds any water or is just another piece of rugby league folklore, one thing is certain. The NSW Blues will have to overcome more than just the Maroons if they want to break their Suncorp curse.
Back at the Lord Kidman, Darren O’Connor took a long sip of warm flat Powers Gold and summed it up best.
“Prophecy or not, joog, it’s going to be a hell of a game. But if Vanga says we’re stuffed, well, maybe we are. But hey, that’s footy, isn’t it?”
More to come.
