Brisbane again

I'm in Queensland again for work. I've been here since Monday, was supposed to be here for eight days until next Tuesday, but am now going back to Sydney on Friday. This is becuase I was coming up to show the journos the new sports site that's been built and be the liaison between up here and down there in the week before it got launched, except since I've got here the tech boys have piped up and mentioned that it ain't going to be ready on time. Which has left me looking like a bit of a spare one. The cynical Queensland mob seem generally wary of flash Harry's coming up from the big smoke showing them the latest piece of magic that will change their life, but fear not as I'll be back in a week or so when the site is ready to launch. Brilliant...

It's the second game in the best-of-three State Of Origin series tonight and as Queensland are one-nil up and love their 'footy' it's a big deal up here. Pity the match itself is in Sydney, I can see the Suncorp stadium from my hotel balcony... it's always a sell out up here though so I doubt I'd have been able to get hold of a ticket. Brisbane Roar are playing Celtic there on July the 12th, the Hoops over on a quite bizarre pre-season visit. Meanwhile Sydney FC are playing "Robbie Fowler's North Queensland Fury" (as they've now become known) in a friendly at Cronulla's rugby ground on Saturday.

In other soccer news, new A-League team Gold Coast United are said to be in talks to bring Henrik Larsson over to light up the league. They've already signed their one marquee player (Jason Culina, ker-pow...) but you can have 'guest players' sign up on short term contracts (and still earn big bucks outside of the squad salary cap, obviously...). Romario and Benito Carbone have been previous guest players, for Adelaide and Sydney respectivly. Sydney's marquee this year is John Aloisi.