- Updated
- Sport
- NRL
- NRL grand final
This was published 2 years ago
Fifty per cent is go: NRL sets crowd capacity threshold for grand final to proceed
By Adam Pengilly, Adrian Proszenko and Sarah Keoghan
The NRL will play the grand final at Suncorp Stadium even if the Queensland government reduces crowd capacity to 50 per cent as it edged closer to avoiding a historic postponement of the decider, which Rabbitohs supercoach Wayne Bennett said would not advantage any team.
On the same day Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk denied she hadn’t locked down the state because of Sunday night’s grand final, the Herald has been told the NRL will still green light the Penrith-South Sydney showdown even if slightly tighter restrictions are imposed on fan numbers.
Only an enforcement of stay-at-home orders across the weekend - meaning no grand final crowd - is likely to force the NRL to postpone the match. An audacious pitch from NSW government officials for the game to be played in Sydney later this month even emerged on Friday morning, while the NRL has also fielded offers from other venues, including Perth’s Optus Stadium, to host a delayed grand final.
However, that scenario is unlikely to eventuate and the NRL has also all but ruled out a relocation of the game to Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium this weekend after just two locally acquired COVID cases were reported in the state on Friday.
Asked on Friday if the NRL grand final would still proceed, Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said: “We just need to see what happens over the next few days.”
The NRL is privately insistent it will still play the game even if the Queensland government is triggered to tighten restrictions, which could reduce the Suncorp crowd to 26,000.
Rival grand final coaches Ivan Cleary and Wayne Bennett face off.Credit: Getty
Thousands of ticket holders have already been locked out of the first rugby league grand final to be played outside Sydney after Queensland Public Health Orders reduced capacity to 75 per cent for the NRL showpiece. It means only 39,000 fans can attend.
Only a snap lockdown in south-east Queensland will stop the grand final from going ahead as planned as Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo anxiously await COVID case numbers on Saturday.
The grand final qualifiers at Suncorp Stadium last week still generated a good atmosphere despite the venue being only at half-capacity.
So if it’s to be, we will all live with it. No-one gets an advantage out of it
Wayne Bennett
The Rabbitohs’ win over Manly was watched by more than 26,000 fans, while there was a slightly higher attendance (29,011) for the Panthers’ gripping win over the Storm.
The wounded Panthers would seem to have most to gain from a delayed grand final, but Ivan Cleary’s counterpart Bennett didn’t agree.
“[The Panthers] have no control over it, we’ve got no control over it,” Bennett said. “So if it’s to be, we will all live with it. No one gets an advantage out of it.
“They [Penrith] obviously have some injuries, but the bottom line is it’s none of their doing, it’s none of our doing, it’s government and what their point of view is with it.”
The NRL grand final will still go ahead at 50 per cent capacity at Suncorp Stadium.Credit: Getty
Cleary said his team would just “roll with” whatever decision is made.
Earlier on Friday, V’landys wouldn’t rule out Sydney as the location for a grand final should it be postponed. However, that contingency appears unlikely given the NRL’s contract with the Queensland government, which includes a $4.8 million agreement to stage the event in the state.
“We’re still quietly confident the Queensland government is containing [the outbreak],” V’landys told 2GB.
“They’ve done a wonderful job to date in the way they isolate people and tracking people down. So we’re hoping the numbers stay low and we can go on Sunday, but all options are on the table. We will be ready for whatever contingencies are thrown our way.”
The NRL, which is beholden to the Queensland government’s health advice, won’t be out of pocket regardless of whether the match is played with or without spectators.
The Australian reported that the government is liable for any losses under the terms of the deal struck with Rugby League Central, which requires them to make up the difference should gate takings diminish as a result of playing with a less-than-capacity crowd.
Meanwhile, the NRL’s vaccination landscape has become a little clearer after Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews ruled all Melbourne Storm players must be vaccinated before returning to pre-season training.
The decision is a result of the Victorian government mandating the jab to cover all on-site authorised workers in mid-October.
The NRL has so far refrained from framing a vaccination policy for its players, but is unlikely to have to do so now the first state government has essentially ruled players won’t be allowed to play or train in Victoria without being vaccinated.
The AFL and AFL Players Association had also not stated publicly they would force players to get the jab.
A handful of NRL players have taken to social media in recent weeks to express personal views against being vaccinated, but the prospect of being able to travel to Melbourne for Storm games might prompt a change of thinking.
All NRL clubs have started vaccination drives with their players after their seasons had ended in a relocated competition in Queensland.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.