THEY just couldn't help themselves.  So proud of their achievements as the masked men behind the Cairns Cricket Memes Facebook page, they just had to tell someone who they were.

And thanks to a tidy bit of investigation and gentle probing – in the non-physical sense – that person happened to be a journalist.

The Cairns Post can reveal Sean Prior and Ryan Knopke as the young duo behind the comical website, which uses random photos combined with short quotes and statements to poke harmless, cheeky fun at local cricketers.

The page was initially started as a one-off, according to the pair, but it quickly grew in popularity and had more than 200 likes in about a fortnight.

They now have almost 300 fans, including people from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Their imagination and creativity can only go so far, though, and the page’s productivity has slowed to an almost halt.

‘‘We’re throwing in the towel. Anyone interested in keeping the page going (can) message us and we will honestly consider it,’’ was their last post on Saturday, shortly after revealing their identity to the Post.

Prior described the interest in the page as unexpected and that the more likes they got, the more pressure they felt to keep the material fresh.

‘‘The page was designed just as a laugh between me and the other original creator and within the first night we had around 100 likes and high demands,’’ he said.

‘‘The next day at training you saw all the lower and higher-grade boys coming together discussing who they think it is and having a good laugh over the memes.’’

The couple admitted they had a few snitches in most clubs to ensure variety in their work, but that they were careful not to expand the operation too wide.

‘‘We are quite secretive blokes and are sure none of us would give out any kind of hints to others about our identity,’’ Knopke said.

But that isn’t to say they weren’t hounded by an inquisitive public about just who was behind the mask.

Originally they had hoped to continue it until season’s end but doubt whether they can sustain it now, hinting that new ‘‘owners’’ would take control of the page.

NEW CAIRNS.COM.AU COMMENT POLICY
We welcome your comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Comments submitted without a full name and suburb/location will not be considered for publication. Please read our full comment policy and publication guidelines.

Share this article