The NRL will independently check the Bankwest Stadium playing surface before clearance is given for Parramatta to host Canberra there on Saturday night.
Just hours after Sydney Roosters players Victor Radley and Sam Verrills suffered season-ending knee injuries, the NRL booked in an inspection for Saturday morning.
Both Radley and Verrills went down untouched in Friday night’s 26-12 win over St George Illawarra, with suspected torn anterior cruciate ligaments.
There is no suggestion the turn was responsible for the blows, with coach Trent Robinson distancing his club from any such claims after the match.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
However, there is little doubt signs of wear and tear are showing at the ground.
Assuming all matches are played as scheduled, there will have been 11 games in 22 days come the end of Sunday night.
Another three are set to be played there next week.
It comes after the NRL moved a game from Campbelltown to Kogarah this week to allow for a fresh surface given a heavy workload at the former.
“If we have any concerns around the safety of the pitch then we’ll move the [Eels-Raiders] game,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo told Channel Nine on Friday night.
“You saw last week we made the move and we’ll assess that again tomorrow morning.”
“Player safety is a massive concern for us, and we never like seeing players injured.
“I know there was a lot spoken about it. The playing surface has had a lot of wear and tear.”
There should be less reliance on Bankwest, Campbelltown and Gosford from next weekend, with clubs returning to home grounds.
However, Bankwest will still remain an option for up to four clubs, given its capped capacity of 7500 is around three times that can enter suburban grounds.
Abdo said the overuse of grounds by the Project Apollo committee, and Bankwest had passed a safety and stability test before play on Friday.
Roosters team manager Chris James and another club official took a close look at the turf where Verrills went down.
Meanwhile, Bankwest Stadium management said they would work with the NRL, but were confident there would not be any issues.
“The stadium turf has been holding up well under a heavy playing schedule,” a Bankwest Stadium spokesman said.
“Signs of wear and tear are a result of the winter rye grass not getting sufficient time to grow between events, but extensive pre-game testing has indicated the surface is stable and safe.
“Any injuries to players are a concern.
“The stadium team will work with the NRL and clubs to ensure the best possible surface for each and every game.”
© AAP
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Joey Manu insists an All Blacks cap remains a distant goal, even if his impending switch to the 15-player game has experts excited about…
Former NRL star Blake Ferguson has had his contract shockingly terminated by the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs effective immediately, having played just one game for…
It might have been that simple all along. As much as the structures, coaching and roster come under pressure at the Roosters, the solution…
Zac Lomax, Ben Hunt and Jack Bird collided in a horror moment for the Dragons. Joey Manu scored off the back of it untouched.
The Roosters half was having a blinder and after a crucial tackle on Tyrell Sloan, sprayed the touchie it happened in front of. Sloan…
This just about summed up the first half for the Dragons as they trailed 30-6 at the break.
