Heroes, villains, comedy and drama. These are all the ingredients required for a good musical and the sport of rugby league has them in spades. All it needed was for one smart person to convert the theatre of the sport into a stage-play and now, thanks to the mind of Denis Carnahan, it has been.
The concept is fairly simple. A projector displays a well compiled visual backdrop to the music (including backstory for the uneducated), while Carnahan, dressed in a variety of garbs, assumes the role of a player, referee or even Meat Loaf and sings the witty and hilarious lyrics.
Carnahan has a way with words and manages to induct even the least sporty person into the world of rugby league — and what a world it is. From bubblers to falcons, referees to canine misadventure, he has it all covered. There is a seemingly neverending source of content for this show.
Despite small technical glitches and a voice that may have been cheering on the Raiders a bit too loudly, the show is packed full of fun, costumes and crowd involvement. A night to remind us that, after all, sport is there for our entertainment, on and off the field.
