It began as one of the NRL’s most exciting rivalries, but the South Queensland Derby has slowly dissolved into a sub-plot of the NRL North narrative as opposed to its main storyline. The Future League outlines how it can resume centre stage.

When the Gold Coast Titans entered the NRL competition in 2007, a new highlight appeared on the season calendar as well. Situated only an hour south of Brisbane, it was only natural that the new team of South Queensland was going to place a lot of emphasis on beating the Broncos.

The media did their part to build the hype, and the fans came in droves. In 2007, both rivalry matches between the two teams were played at Suncorp Stadium, and the average attendance was 48,154. In 2008 the Titans moved their home game of the South Queensland Derby to what was then known as Skilled Park (which has a smaller capacity). However, their two rivalry matches for the season averaged 33,477, peaking the following year at 34,708.

But then everything started to slide the other way. A combination of consistent underperformance by the Titans and a lengthy streak of wins by the Broncos saw crowd averages drop remarkably to just over 26,000 across the 2011-14 seasons.

So how can the situation be fixed? Some may think there’s nothing to be concerned about. After all, an average crowd attendance of over 26,000 for two rivalry matches per year is still at the upper echelon of NRL rivalry attendances. But considering how big the Broncos-Titans drawcard was nine seasons ago, it should still be better.

Yes, the Broncos and the Titans have not set the NRL alight for several seasons now, but this is not a rivalry devoid of narrative. Three of their first four matches were decided by four points or less – and two of those were won in golden point extra-time. And while the Titans enjoyed their most successful season in 2010, getting to only one match away from their debut grand final, the Broncos still managed to inflict the first clean sweep in the rivalry despite missing the finals for the first time since 1991.

The solution to rebuild this once-illustrious NRL North conference rivalry is to revisit the results of previous seasons and continue building the mythology surrounding the South Queensland Derby. There should be a perception among both the media and fans that these matches throw up something special – and while it’s the players’ responsibilities to make this happen on the field, there is far more to be done off it to continually build the legacy of this rivalry.

Because a match between the Broncos and the Titans is not just about two competition points, nor is it a step towards claiming the NRL North conference title. It is about reigning supreme in South Queensland – and that accomplishment should never be allowed to be forgotten.

Rivalry Record: Broncos 11 wins; Titans 5 wins

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