Illawarra, Group Seven Super Bowl to pack additional punch

The March 16 clash has been roundly applauded since being locked into the preseason calendar, and fans - particularly of the Butchers variety - will have added incentive to head down the highway with Under 18s and Reserve Grade clashes to precede to top-grade fixture.

With both clubs boasting some of the largest - and certainly rowdiest - Old Boys' networks, it makes for a huge day at Michael Cronin Oval.

Group Seven general manager Ashton Sims, a proud Gerringong product, said the concept was one that simply had to be wrenched out of the too-hard basket.

"It's something that we had to jump at," Sims said.

"We need to try new things, we need to get new eyeballs onto both competitions and, to me, it's only going to benefit both competitions.

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got. We just want to blast through some of the old thought process around what can be done, what can't be done.

"Having a 'World Club Challenge' type game in our own backyard with two fierce rival competitions, I think it's a great way to kick off the season.

"At the end of the day, both competitions want to see rugby league thrive and a game of this magnitude is a huge step in the right direction for both competitions."

Despite the close proximity and fraternal bond between the competitions, consequential games across the traditional boundaries have been few and far between.

While it remains to be seen what line-ups take the park, the addition of the reserve grade and Under 18s games will allow both teams to take large squads into the match.

Sims feels that will allow both clubs to throw everything at the contest in a way the long suggested post-grand final week showdown in September wouldn't.

"Asking guys to back up a week later after a grand final is probably a bit too much of an ask," Sims said.

"Having it at the start of the year to kick off a year in a sensational way with a huge bang is really exciting. It has got a lot of tongues wagging already.

"You can see online, some of the comments from people all over New South Wales and it's comments like 'this should have been done years ago'. It's been a long time in the making, but we're doing it now.

"Growing up, my heroes weren't just people playing in the NRL that I saw or on TV or listened to on the radio, it was the people up in the local parks that I used to go and watch, I used to go and ball boy.

"That's the underlying factor of it all, give supporters something to be excited about and kids something to aspire to playing in."

While the game between clubs will be very much a 'friendly', Sims said it clearly would not be as exciting a prospect without the historically big brother-little brother rivalry.

"There's definitely that rivalry, so we're using it as a tool to advertise what a great game it is and I'm sure there'll be a big crowd on show to have a look," he said.

"It's been said for a long time within the two competitions that Thirroul's like the Gerringong of Illawarra, and Gerringong's like the Thirroul of Group Seven.

"Both coaches, Scotty Stewart from Gerringong and Jarrod Costello from Thirroul were so quick to say yes to this game and Blake Edwards from Illawarra was instrumental in this as well.

"It wasn't just one competition driving it, it was both competitions. It was an idea, pie in the sky, but it's a great feeling to work with people who just want to see the best for our game."