PRENTICE: This Sydneysider's dream grand final is Broncos-Cowboys

It's not duh that more people attended rugby league in Sydney. The Brisbane game wasn't full capacity. It's not like there were people kicking the doors down trying to get in. That means there were 50,000 people in Brisbane and 50,000 only who wanted to go to the footy. If there were more that wanted to go they could have got tickets. 80,000 people attended footy games in Sydney. Yes, that's over three games but of course as you increase the number of games in an area the average crowd drops. Anyway I dont want to sound anti qld because I'm not I just get my back up when Sydney gets bagged - all the time. What youre saying about record attendance being poor makes no sense. That means every week 1 semi final crowd in history has been poor. That's daft. You need to realign your parameters as your expectations are out of whack. More people attended week 1 semis than EVER before and you're calling it poor. How many have to attend before you say it's even satisfactory?

I think we actually agree on most points you've mentioned. Sydney siders prefer Sydney teams in the grand final, but would still sell out a non sydney grand final. Brisbane siders prefer QLD teams in the grand final, but would still sell out a non QLD grand final. Not sure why you're so adamant it wouldn't be a big event in QLD. More people attend rugby league on a weekend in Sydney than Brisbane because there is only ever 1 game in Brisbane!!!, compared to the usual 5 or 6 games. Duh! My main point has been Suncorp should hold a grand final in the future no matter who makes the grand final, so all questions regarding tickets and travel etc would be irrelevant. The point we disagree on is crowds. Yes, a record is a record. However it does not mean the stated crowd numbers are good, especially when I said Sydney attendance was low, not attendance overall. You won't agree, but for mine..........those numbers for each game are not great for finals football. Even Suncorp had 2000 empty seats (although all 52, 500 tickets were sold). When the next contracts are being agreed to, I hope you support Suncorp getting a few grand finals in the future.

A record is a record. How can attendance be poor if it's the record attendance? The size of the stadium is completely irrelevant when talking about attendance. The Broncos game wasn't a sellout so if the stadium was bigger there would be more empty seats. Does that take away from how many attended? Of course not. And before you start prattling on about atmosphere this is a discussion about attendances. More people attended rugby league in Sydney than Brisbane on the weekend. Of course what Qlders think about an all sydney GF is subjective. I didn't claim it as 'fact' like some I know. But again have a read of the comments here. Tell me if I'm wrong. Tell me if you think Qlders would be stoked with an all Sydney GF in Brisbane. I don't know why you're even making a point of this. The answer is painfully obvious. I'm sure a dogs v roosters GF would be a sellout. So was the 06 storm v broncos game in Sydney. So what? Finally, stadiums enter into long term deals with the NRL to host GFs. Tickets are sold months in advance. Travel plans need to be made. Do you honestly think the NRL can wait until a week before the GF and say "hang on, Broncs are in, let's move the whole show to Queensland..."?

The crowd figures I stated earlier back my claims of the Sydney games crowds being poor. If you think half empty stadiums isn't a poor turnout, well then the debate ends there. You are the one who brought up the Broncos attendance? At least we agree it's an irrelevant point. You have not read my points correctly. I have no problem with Sydney siders preferring Sydney based teams in the grand final. My point is why are Sydney siders so offended when there is talk about holding the grand final at Suncorp? You said pretty much 100% of QLD'ers would be against two Sydney teams in a grand final at Suncorp. Is that a fact or subjective opinion? Care to provide at sources to back that claim? Why would you have to wait to see if QLD teams made the grand final to host it at Suncorp? I would imagine there would be a sellout if the grand final was held at Suncorp featuring the Bulldogs v Roosters. The city would love the event. I'm curious to see the turnout at the Roosters v Bulldogs game on Friday night, hopefully the stadium won't be half empty.

Calling something "poor" is not a fact, no matter how passionately you believe it. It's a subjective assessment. The FACT is that last weekend was a record crowd for the first week of the semis. It doesn't matter whether the Broncos last played in 2011, 2006 or 1886. This year was the record attendance. "Most Sydney siders aren't interested in a grand final with non-Sydney teams" is that another "fact"? Have a read of the comments (in response to a story written by a Sydney sider actively wishing for an all Queensland GF) - most people are very comfortable with a Broncos v Cowboys grand final. Some people would prefer to have at least one Sydney team. Some people would prefer both be from Sydney. So what? Say they decide to play next year's grand final at Suncorp. How many Queenslanders would be wishing for one Queensland team in the GF? How many would be hoping for an all Queensland GF? How many would be put off if it was between two Sydney teams? I'll give you the answer - pretty much 100%. Anything wrong with that? Not at all. So, what's the difference when a Sydney sider wants to see a Sydney team or even two Sydney teams in a grand final? Why does that seem to offend Queenslanders so much? I really would love to know. I wouldn't be averse to them playing a grand final at Suncorp. But you can't just wait and see if Queensland teams make it before you make the call where it would be played. What would happen if it panned out to be a Bulldogs v Roosters game? There is more of an anti-Sydney bias in Queensland than there is an anti-Queensland bias in Sydney.

Mate, I think you should research the facts yourself, before making claims of uninformed opinions. True, last weekend was a record number of 131, 794 for round 1 of the Qualifying Finals. That tell me previous years have had even poorer crowd turnouts. False, the Broncos haven't played a home qualifying final since 2011 and the previous time before that was in 2006. Qualifying Finals Week 1 2015: Roosters v Storm - Allianz Capacity: 45, 500 - Crowd: 20, 521 Bulldogs v Dragons - ANZ Capacity: 83, 500 - Crowd: 33, 854 Broncosv Cowboys - Suncorp Capacity: 52, 500 - Crowd: 50, 388 Sharks v Rabbitohs - Allianz Capacity: 45, 500 - Crowd: 27, 031 Like I originally stated, there were categorically poor crowd turnouts for the Sydney games this past weekend. Fact. Most Sydney siders aren't interested in a grand final with non-Sydney teams, combined with the poor crowds is even more reason to hold a grand final at Suncorp in the future.

Last weekend was a record for round 1 of the semi finals. Yes, the broncos had a large crowd - but guess what - they've played in week 1 of the semis plenty of times before. Fair dinkum - talk about uninformed opinion.

I cant wait to see another team up here, but in my opinion basing it at Suncorp is a massive mistake, one that was made before and one that threatens to be made again. I hope that the powers that be see this too and promote an historic QRL side with its own identity and region.

This Friday night for 90 minutes ill have my blue and whites on mate. If it was going to be an all Sydney GF this would have been my prediction.

I'm a BRL Die-Hard, so yep would love it.

No there's not. Not at all. A couple of people have said they'd like one NSW team in the GF and they've been blown up for not being stoked about a storm v broncos game. A lot of this stuff is in your (collective) heads. Most NSW fans support their team, maybe have a second team, hate a couple and are fairly indifferent to the rest. I don't know any NSW fan who would be dirty if the cowboys won. Most would buy into the fairytale. And as for 9 teams, if you blokes had got behind the crushers, we'd be talking about a third Brisbane team now.

That's no fun mate. Good luck...if it's an all Queensland GF I'll only be dirty because it means the dogs haven't made it...

You cant have 9 teams representing the same town and not expect us to shout 9 times louder. There are more people shouting NSW in this thread than QLD.

Hi Baz, ill not be baited today im afraid. I think this article is saying that the QUALITY of footy is better when the QLD teams are playing nothing about the lopsidedness of our national competition.

Give it a rest. You're far more anti- NSW than any comment I've read here about Queensland. The chips some of you blokes have on your shoulders is ridiculous. Someone says "I'd like to see one NSW team in the grand final" and they get howled down. If you wanted to see Queensland teams in the grand final every year you shouldn't have joined the Sydney comp...???? There you go Wayne...I know you've been waiting for someone to say it.

So they flog their missus. Twice.

Hope its the cowboys vs brisbane so i can watch the biggest loser. Oops wrong network. Ouch!

Well what can I say.....oops forgot about him. But if memory serves me he wasn't contracted to the Cowbies when the offence occurred. So if anything you could argue that the Cowbies gave him an opportunity to redeem himself. And isn't that what life is all about. Giving people the space and structures to modify their behaviour. I'll bet he is personally a better person than if he had have stayed in that cess pit of Sydney. Some kids find it difficult to adapt in new environments.

Well what can I say.....

You do realise your team employs Robert Lui...