Fans will have to wait less than four months for a grand final rematch with the Broncos and Cowboys confirming that they will play a trial game in Bundaberg on February 6 prior to leaving to participate in the World Club Challenge.
The last time two NRL teams met in Bundaberg was in 1991 when two matches of the Lotto Challenge Cup pre-season competition were played at Bundaberg Showground, Brisbane accounting for North Sydney and Newcastle edging out Balmain in front of more than 13,000 people.
A crowd of at least 12,000 is anticipated for the biggest game in Bundy for more than 20 years and operations manager for the Queensland Rugby League's central division, Dave Pearce, said it as a game that will bring much needed positivity to a region devastated by flooding in 2013.
"[The Broncos] fully endorse coming here to Bundaberg. I never dreamed it would be a Cowboys v Broncos trial at that stage, but they were the two logical teams you need to get here because there is a lot of support for both teams in this area," Pearce told ABC Wide Bay.
"My main focus was to put more positivity back into the general public around the Bundaberg area. I hope this has gone a long way towards that.
"As everyone knows [Bundaberg has] been through quite a horrendous couple of years.
"I hope this lifts their spirits, and a lot more positivity and confidence gets into the local economy."
With just one trial in Australia before both clubs travel to England for the World Club Challenge, Bundaberg Rugby League chairman Mike Ireland is expecting to see squads very similar to that which fought out the epic Telstra Premiership Grand Final earlier this month.
"With the success of the Broncos and Cowboys in 2015 we'll get 10-12,000 people here no problems at all," Ireland said.
"They'll be bringing their marquee players to Bundaberg. It's a home trial for the Broncos, each year they have a trial with the Cowboys. This year it was up at Mount Isa and in 2016 it will be here in Bundaberg."
Tickets for the Broncos-Cowboys trial are expected to go on sale in mid-November.
