Kimlo
International Captain
Senior Staff
- Apr 26, 2008
- 34,568
- 35,501
Source: Brisbane Times
By Michael Chammas and Lucy Cormack
April 27, 2022 — 2.41pmARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys says the NRL is giving strong consideration to a Super Bowl-style rotational grand final venue, which could inject an estimated $200 million into the sport in the next decade.
Sources with knowledge of discussions told the Herald that the NRL will this week put forward a proposal to the NSW government that maintains the tradition of the grand final being played in Sydney, but also allows the flexibility of taking a certain number of deciders on the road each decade.
As revealed by the Herald on Tuesday, V’landys has called for an urgent meeting with NSW premier Dominic Perrottet on Friday to discuss the future of the NRL grand final.
“Nothing is a done deal,” V’landys told the Herald on Wednesday.
“We’re keen to meet with [the] NSW government, and whatever the outcome is I have to go back to the commission. The commission will always act in the best interest of the game. We’ll always keep an open mind, like any good commercial practice requires, for the betterment of the game.
“But we have to remember this is called the National Rugby League for a reason. One thing I know about supporters is that they will travel. Panthers and Rabbitohs fans didn’t get the chance to go to Brisbane last year but they would have if they could have.
The Panthers won the grand final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane last year due to COVID-19 restrictions in NSW. Credit:Getty
“And the reality is that the grand final will still have a place in Sydney. It won’t go every year. But the idea of taking it on the road is something we’re certainly considering. If we opened it up we’d have interest from every state.”
Premier Dominic Perrottet on Wednesday said his government had already committed to funding for suburban stadiums, shooting down any suggestion the state would lose the event to Queensland.
“I have been working with Peter [V’landys], and I understand his issues. But let’s be fair dinkum here, the grand final is not going to Queensland. No one wants the grand final in Queensland,” he said, adding that Queensland was “second rate” to NSW.
However, the Herald understands the NRL is considering a hybrid model which locks in grand finals in the two rugby league heartland cities - Sydney and Brisbane - for a certain number of grand finals during the next decade.
Queensland is willing to pay in excess of $10m a year for the grand final at the 52,000-seat Suncorp Stadium, with the NRL to also profit from ticket sales, merchandise and corporate events.
The remaining games will then be put up for auction, not excluding Sydney and Brisbane, and sold to the highest bidder.
That opens the door for a grand final to be played at Perth’s Optus Stadium (65,000), Auckland’s Eden Park (60,000 with temporary seating added), Adelaide Oval (53,500), Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,000) or even London’s Wembley Stadium (90,000) if the NRL was willing to follow the NFL’s path and introduce a two-week build-up to the final match of the season.
V’landys believes the NFL model, which will see the Super Bowl played in Arizona (2023), Las Vegas (2024) and New Orleans (2025), will add to the hype of grand final week.
“Naturally, we have to look at a Super Bowl-style situation where states get the chance to bid on it,” V’landys said.
“What people have to understand is that there are only two major national events in Australia with local content - the NRL and AFL grand finals. They add enormous value to a state’s economy. These aren’t handouts - it stimulates significant amounts of money for the local economy. If Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth or even Auckland host it, then NSW fans go there and spend a lot of money.
For us, it’s a great promotion. It’s not just about the grand final, it’s about the whole week. What the NFL do so well for Super Bowl is a whole series of events which they offer in the week leading up to it which generates such a great atmosphere. That is something that is in our thinking.”
Negotiations with the NRL and NSW government centre around the funds that will be allocated to the investment in Sydney suburban grounds and training facilities.
“It’s being fair by the National Rugby League, it’s not just the New South Wales Rugby League in charge of the decision-making process,” Queensland rugby league legend Wally Lewis told Nine.
“If they are able to please all rugby league fans right around the country it would be fantastic. If they get the opportunity to do it the way they do in the United States, being in a different town every year, it’s certainly sharing the game around. They’re going to have to pay a top figure to make sure the game is based in their city.”
