Eels fans' heartache as grand final sells out

2 years ago 139

When a sleeping elephantine similar the Parramatta Eels makes a tally to the expansive final, there's plentifulness of things to like; reminiscing astir the bully aged days, hoping for a drought being broken, and of course, Sydney becoming awash with bluish and gold.

Eels fans person snapped up plentifulness of tickets to Sunday's present sold retired expansive last - but with specified a ample fanbase, there's ever going to beryllium immoderate fans near retired successful the cold.

That's the shame for 61-year-old Darren McCartney, a diehard Parramatta instrumentality who present lives successful Darwin, has an interstate rank and was 1 of the unlucky ones.

"I'm primitively a Wentworthville boy, and my time was an Eels protagonist going backmost to the days astatine Cumberland Oval - I've ne'er known thing different," helium told Wide World of Sports.

Despite much than a half-century of fandom, McCartney's ne'er been to a expansive final that they won - though helium inactive vividly remembers being determination successful 1976 erstwhile the Eels mislaid to Manly, 13-10.

"I was close successful that country wherever Neville Glover dropped that ball, truthful that scarred maine for life," helium joked.

But erstwhile Parramatta's aureate play rolled astir successful the aboriginal 1980s, McCartney had enlisted successful the RAAF - and was incapable to be immoderate of their 4 successes earlier settling successful Darwin successful 1986, wherever he's lived ever since.

That year, of course, was the past clip the Eels lifted the trophy.

"As soon arsenic the Eels won connected Friday night, each antheral and his canine jumped connected to effort and get tickets - and it didn't truthful overmuch clang arsenic it did conscionable support popping up with mistake messages," McCartney said.

Disappointed, the Eels tragic tried connected each caller question of releases, close down to the last merchandise connected Tuesday - wherever remaining tickets disappeared successful a substance of minutes.

"Every clip a caller batch came you'd conscionable beryllium determination connected Ticketek with aggregate devices, conscionable hoping. I did get successful a mates of times but there's evidently a lag from radical purchasing to erstwhile they update the tract with what tickets are available," helium said.

Already down successful Sydney for a household lawsuit implicit the weekend, he's present kicking himself for not pursuing his daughter's pb and buying tickets aft the triumph implicit Canberra successful week 2 of the finals - but adjacent if he's watching from a couch, it volition inactive mean the world.

"Looking astatine this playing roster, I'm 62 adjacent year, I'm astir apt not going to person galore much chances to spot them successful a expansive last wherever they whitethorn person a accidental to win," helium said.

He's not giving up anticipation of a summons yet, and says he'll support searching each the mode up until Sunday - though he's accepted that it's a agelong shot.

"There's going to beryllium thousands and thousands of radical trying to telephone successful favours," helium conceded.

Stream the NRL premiership 2022 unrecorded and escaped on 9Now

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said the request for tickets had been "overwhelming".

"The expansive last teams correspond the beating bosom of rugby league," helium said.

"Clubs that correspond modern time Australia. Confident, vibrant and increasing communities. Heartland areas that person much kids picking up a shot for the archetypal clip than ever before.

"There is overmuch to look guardant to this Sunday – a accepted rivalry that has ne'er been played connected the NRL expansive last signifier earlier and an NRLW expansive last betwixt 2 teams successful conscionable their 2nd premiership seasons.

"History volition beryllium made."

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