Sit Down With Sam

What a weekend of sport that was.

I’ve been a diehard Broncos fan for as long as I can remember, and I know I’m not the only one, so I’m sure you can imagine how I’ve been feeling this week.

Watching the NRL grand final on Sunday night was an emotional rollercoaster - from an early eight-point lead to the Panthers to the exhilarating second half hat-trick from Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam to the heart sinking Nathan Cleary try in the 76th minute.

With the Broncos up 24-8, I’ll admit I was already picturing life as a winner; I was already thinking about what I’d be writing here, how I’d be singing their praises, so it stung when the Provan-Summons Trophy was snatched from the Broncos’ fingertips with mere minutes to go.

It’s a fate that is, unfortunately, not unfamiliar to Broncos fans, with their last grand final appearance in 2015 remaining a sore point of discussion for many.

Despite all this, I’d be mad not to continue singing their praises.

I don’t think I’ve ever been filled with as much Broncos pride as I was throughout the 2023 season.

Of course, it’s easy to love your team when they’re winning, and that love did waver throughout the Broncos’ less-successful years, but I’ve always stuck with my team and am elated with their performance no matter the result.

A special mention must also go to the Gold Coast Titans NRLW side who went down in their grand final by six points and to the Brisbane Lions AFL side who went down by four – it was a tough weekend for Queensland sport fans.

As the footy seasons comes to a close and the mercury continues to rise, it can only mean cricket season is right around the corner and I for one am looking forward to getting out there and rolling the arm over this summer.

Check out the back of the paper to see what’s been happening in the Home Hill Cricket Association’s preseason, plus plenty more sport stories from a packed weekend of sport.

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