CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Nobody knows if the goal of tonight’s ‘Spoon Bowl’ is to win or lose, but either way, both fanbases are cheering hysterically.
For the Parramatta Eels, tonight represents the last opportunity to stem the bleeding after a 18 month fall from grace.
Just two years ago, Eels fans were cheering on their team in a gruelling ‘battle of the west’ NRL Grand Final.
Now, they face a battle of the inner-west. A fight over the bottom two spots in the 2024 NRL Competition.
Spoon Bowl, as it has been dubbed.
The Tigers haven’t left this end of the ladder for years. Tonight could see them take out the wooden spoon for the third-straight year.
As reported by the Betoota Advocate earlier today, the long-suffering fans of both sides are making peace with their place in the world. They know that appearing in a sold out ‘Spoon Bowl’ is a far higher honour than being one of those bottom eight sides who don’t even get the chance to be labelled the shittest club in the comp.
Even if the hype around this match is nothing more than a sadistic coping mechanism, the fact that the very inconveniently located Campbelltown Sports Stadium is sold out for a wooden spoon showdown – during Friday afternoon’s traffic peak hour – means that this near-manic fanfare is providing some sort of therapeutic relief for these long suffering fans.
Benji Marshall’s embattled Tiggies have been cemented at the bottom of the ladder since Round 17 – but tonight they have a chance offload the Wooden Spoon to the spiralling Parramatta Eels. That’s if they even want to do that.
Regardless, both the TV broadcasters and the NRL are getting into the spirit of Spoon Bowl.
“Tonight is the night!!!” roars Nine’s football commentator, Gus Gould, as Campbelltown Stadium is engulfed in spectacular pyrotechnics.
“Whatever happens at the end of this 80 minutes defines the next 12 months.”
“When the stadium lights go out tonight, we will have a big spoon and we will have a little spoon. But every single fan that turned out here tonight will have the memory. They will be able to say they were here. In Campbelltown. On this historic evening”
“Ladies and Gentlemen”
“THIS. IS. SPOON. BOWL!!!”
“Enjoy your rugby league football”
