The Brisbane Broncos and Dolphins have agreed on a newly named "battle medal" to be presented to the player of the game in their future matches.
The match, which will be played at a sold out Suncorp Stadium, will pit two undefeated teams against each other after an excellent start to the season for the Queensland clubs.
In a release, the Dolphins revealed the medal will be selected by a pair of Queensland legends in Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston. Neither of the duo played for either club, however, are working with the host broadcaster Channel Nine during the game on Friday evening.
The Dolphins revealed the concept has been in the works for some time, and that it will bring extra heat to the NRL's youngest rivalry.
“There has been an unbelievable amount of excitement around this first Battle game and we are so proud that the first ever Dolphins-Broncos game is a sellout,” CEO Terry Reader said in a club statement.
“It ensures this will be a night to remember for not only the players, but the members and fans of both clubs.
“We believe the Battle Medal will grow into a prestigious honour for players over the coming years as this amazing rivalry continue to grow.”
Broncos' CEO Dave Donaghy said the first clash between the Broncos and Dolphins is the start of a new tradition.
“Suncorp Stadium has been the home of the Broncos for 20 years, and we are looking forward to yet another exciting derby, and beginning this tradition,” he said.
“This medal is bound to bring plenty of joy for fans and plenty of pride for the players who run out there to battle for the honour.”
The sell out crowd for tonight's game - an impressive effort given the 7pm local time kick-off due to daylight savings still being a factor - will be one of the largest regular season crowds in recent times outside of double-header games played at Stadium Australia in the years following its opening.
In standalone regular season games, there have only been six games with an attendance of over 50,000 during the NRL era, with the Broncos hosting four of those games.
I feel the “Battle Medal” is far too cliched for such an event. Something a bit more prestigious like playing for “The Key” as in the honour of having the key to the city for a year or even the “River City Rumble” as others have offered. The battle medal seems more appropriate for ANZAC Memorials. Just saying.