St.George Queensland Reds prop Ben Daley is in line to celebrate his milestone 50th game for Queensland when the Reds clash with interstate rivals the NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Daley made his Queensland debut in 2006 against Japan and has since become a staple in the Reds line-up after winning his first Super Rugby cap against the Crusaders in 2008.
The 24-year-old loosehead has been an integral member within the Reds squad since making his Super Rugby debut, featuring in the team’s historic 2011 championship-winning success while he has also earned Test honours for the Wallabies, his debut coming in 2010.
Off the field Daley consistently demonstrates the types of behaviours and attributes that are hallmarks of the Reds team culture and has been a previous winner of the ‘Spirit of the Reds’ award.
Daley has the honour of playing his 50th game for Queensland in what is arguably the Reds most important encounter of the 2012 FxPro Super Rugby season, where beating the Waratahs would keep the team’s finals ambitions alive.
“Fifty games has come around quickly and it’s always something you dream of when you play your first cap,” Daley said.
“It’s a tremendous occasion for myself and for my family. They’ve been there since the start of it so it will be great to have them in the crowd.
“You couldn’t have written a better script for it, playing the Waratahs at home. All the guys are up for the match. Even if we weren’t in the position we were in, the Waratahs are always a crunch match for us and we enjoy playing New South Wales.
“They’ll be looking to knock us off after we won right on the bell in round one. They’ll be looking for some revenge there but we need to win to keep our season alive.”
Daley will play an important role against the Waratahs on Saturday night in what will be played in-front of the Reds largest crowd of the season.
Tickets are selling fast for the Reds regular-season finale with fans encouraged to get in quickly and secure their seat through Ticketek – http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=REDS2112.
The Reds have endured a number of highs and lows this season however, through adversity comes strength, and a victory would put the Reds in their best position to finish inside the critical top six.
Captain Will Genia has put out a special ‘Call To Arms’ for all Reds fans as part of a video that re-lives all the best moments of 2012 by highlighting the team’s journey.
The video has received 5,000 views on YouTube since being posted earlier in the week and can be seen here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKGW93cSy94&feature=youtu.be.
Supporters heading to the match are being urged to plan ahead with their travel plans. From the first train on Saturday 14 July to last train on Sunday 15 July, tracks will be closed between Dutton Park and Varsity Lakes. Be sure to plan your journey in advance and allow for extra travel time due to track works (up to 60 minutes).
Complete travel information for the Reds v Tahs match can be found here - http://www.redsrugby.com.au/SuperRugby/GettingtotheGame.aspx.