I'll pay it
It's not rugby league, Arnold tells Roar
By AAP
FTQWB
State against state? Not in this game, says Graham Arnold.
The Sydney FC coach doesn't care what colour kit Brisbane wear - orange, white or Queensland's maroon.
The third-placed Roar will attempt to end A-League leaders Sydney FC's perfect - 6-0 - season start in Saturday's home clash, a clash they are billing as a 'State vs State' affair.
They will run out in in a special maroon jersey for the first time when they face the sky blue of the visitors on Suncorp Stadium, also the home of Queensland's beloved State of Origin rugby league team, who've regularly dominated the NSW Blues.
The colour switch is a big deal north of the Tweed River, with the jerseys presented to Roar players by Maroons Origin legend Billy Moore this week.
"It doesn't matter if it's rugby league, football or marbles. When sky blue plays maroon, everyone north of the Tweed cares," Moore said.
The significance, however, was lost on FC coach Arnold, who isn't buying into talk of a state rivalry in Australian soccer.
It's not rugby league, it's football," Arnold told reporters on Thursday.
"It doesn't matter what colour jerseys they're in. They're still the same human beings - same bodies, same talent, same quality.
"We'll go up there with the intention of suffocating them.
"It could also bring bad luck. They've never worn maroon."
Adding another element of spice was Roar defender Jade North's recent description of the Sky Blues' perfect start to the season as "lucky", particularly in conceding a competition-best only two goals in 2016-17.
Rather than lucky, Arnold believes it was their opposition who were fortunate not have succumbed to heavier defeats.
"All I'll say is last week, we had 47 entries into Perth Glory's penalty box ... and we only scored four goals," Arnold said.
"We're nowhere near the finished product. We're still operating at about 60-65 per cent of where we'll end up."
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http://wwos.nine.com.au/2016/11/17/11/25/maroon-strip-won-t-inspire-roar-arnold#k0fRcSAkbCZgbIYQ.99