WHEN the gates open at Carrington Park for the National Rugby League match between the Panthers and Sharks on July 26, there will be one Bathurst local in the crowd cheering on his team.
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Dave ‘The Barber’ Melrose is a dyed-in-the-wool Penrith fan.
He said he can’t wait for game day, not only because it is his team playing, but also because he is going along as a guest of Bathurst mayor Gary Rush.
“I’ve been cutting Gary’s hair for years now and he knows how keen a Panther supporter. You sort of can’t miss it because my shop’s packed with their memorabilia,” Mr Melrose said.
“Personally, I think it’s a fantastic initiative to tie up the five-year deal to have Penrith play one of their home games each season here.
“The feedback I am hearing from customers is also very positive. It’s a big deal for the region to have the NRL in town.
“It’s a chance to get kids to become Panther fans because they will be holding training camps here in the lead up to the match.”
Mr Melrose is a former Penrith local, having grown up in St Marys and undergone his apprenticeship in Kingswood.
“I wasn’t much good, but I also played with St Marys and Colyton,” he said.
“Hopefully, we will be seeing more kids wearing Penrith jumpers around town, because over the past decade all you seem to see is them wearing Brisbane and Melbourne jerseys.”
A spokesperson from Bathurst Regional Council said ticket sales are going well.
“Grandstand seats have all be snapped up at $35 each,” the spokesperson said.
“That’s a pretty good start because it can hold 1100 people. In total, all up at this stage, there’s been about 2500 tickets sold online with Ticketek.
“However, people should keep in mind that early bird ticket sales offer the best discounted deal and they close on July 11.
“That means you get see the big match for just $20 for a general ticket, $10 concession and pensioners, or $45 for a family pass for two adults and two children or one adult and three kids.
“And, being an early bird patron means you also go into a draw for some great prizes.”
The council spokesperson said the aim was to keep prices as affordable as possible to ensure a bumper crowd with Carrington Park’s maximum capacity of 13,000 people.
“It represents great value to see an NRL match right here in Bathurst, and you also save money because you would normally have to travel to Sydney for this type of fixture,” spokesperson said.
Once early bird deals end, prices increase to $30 for an adult, $15 concession and $50 for the family pass.
