UNDER normal circumstances, news that an NRL State of Origin match was being played in Newcastle would be an occasion of unalloyed triumph for the Hunter Region and our legion of footy fans.
But these are not normal circumstances.
It's a COVID pandemic, and the match is coming here because the Greater Sydney lockdown has been extended by a week, and the preferred way to play in front of spectators is to hold it somewhere else in NSW, given the first two matches were in Queensland.
With Central Coast Stadium inside the lockdown area, McDonald Jones Stadium is arguably the only suitable venue.
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Even though it's a dead rubber, next Wednesday promises to be an unforgettable night for all who attend.
The obvious worry, though, is that filling the stadium to 75 per cent capacity results in a coronavirus outbreak, making it a game to remember for all the wrong reasons.
As we know, the Hunter Region has had no cases since the Greater Sydney lockdown began on June 26.
The NRL says fans from within that area - from the Central Coast to Wollongong - will not be able to buy tickets, which if enforceable removes almost all of the obvious risks.
Hopefully, it's a promise the NRL can keep.
Similar exclusions applied at the stadium for last Thursday's towelling of the Roosters by the Storm, and they will again tomorrow night, when the Rabbitohs play the Cowboys.
Add in last night's boxing match between Tim Tszyu and Stevie Spark and the authorities will have had three goes at checking addresses.
Compliance is doubly important, given that Queensland fans are free at this stage to come to Newcastle for the game, so if a COVID outbreak does take place, it could well spread interstate.
NSW government logos on NRL advertising promoting the move from Sydney show the switch has official backing.
But as we saw yesterday, a failure of people to follow the rules was one of the reasons Premier Gladys Berejiklian extended the lockdown, after previously hinting it would end tomorrow.
Whatever show of confidence the authorities display in this Origin switch, the reality is that they must be doing it with fingers crossed behind their backs, even if "the science" says it's alright.
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