The NRL’s call to play Melbourne’s week-one final on their Sunshine Coast base has left them with a near-impossible task of the Storm taking on the AFL grand final for Victorian viewers in a fortnight.
The NRL set themselves the tall order on Sunday night, confirming Melbourne’s preliminary final against Penrith or Parramatta would fall on September 25.
That night also coincides with the AFL’s decider in Perth, with the NRL kick off coming just 35 minutes after the first bounce on the Seven Network.
Making matters more difficult for the NRL, the AFL decider is between two Melbourne teams in Western Bulldogs and the Demons.
While the AFL grand final is traditionally an afternoon affair at the MCG, the 2021 decider is being played in Perth due to COVID-19 and starts at 5:15pm local time, meaning it will be in evening prime time on the east coast.
The Demons in particular are a fairytale story, pursuing their first flag in 57 years.
The NRL were essentially forced into clashing the Storm with the AFL match after Melbourne beat Manly in Week 1 of the finals.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Under the NRL’s finals system, the league offers seven-day turnarounds for the winners of games in Week 2 before their preliminary finals.
Given the order of games in Week 1, Manly and the Roosters had to be played on Friday night in Week 2 and Penrith-Parramatta on Saturday.
The only way to avoid that scheduling would have been to reverse the order of games in Week 1, with Melbourne-Manly on Saturday and Penrith-South Sydney on Friday.
Parramatta and Newcastle would also have had to have been played on Saturday night, with the Roosters and Gold Coast on the Sunday.
But it’s believed the NRL wanted to reward minor premiers Melbourne with the ability to play at their home away from home on the Sunshine Coast.
Given a double-header had already been booked in for Townsville on the Saturday, the only way for the Storm to play at Sunshine Coast Stadium was by playing them on the Friday night.
Likewise, the league could have opted to play the preliminary final in an afternoon time slot on the Saturday to avoid a clash.
But they have instead decided to take it head on, risking a hit to their own ratings in the process.
Last year’s AFL grand final rated 1,583,000 in Melbourne, compared to 87,000 on free-to-air for the Storm’s 2020 preliminary final against Canberra in the same month.
Fox League’s numbers in Melbourne for the Storm’s preliminary final are unavailable, but it did rate 333,000 nationally.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Surely everyone these days gets their spot on Kayo? And much like NRL north of the Barassi line, AFL are normally the back page or so in the print media for those dinasours who still buy them, followed by the non-local code. Doesn't mean that they don't have plenty of supporters. And in a 1 team state they wouldn't need too much of the population, Melbourne itself is nearly the same size as Sydney these days. I do know they sell a lot of memberships and back when they could play in Victoria, their home games had great attendance, so they seem to do all right. A lot of Sydney clubs would kill to have the members and attending fans Storm generate.
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm told that but how many is "lots"? I also gather they barely rate a mention in the sports section and normal games are shown late at really late hours I guess we'll find out after the game is shown if lots watch.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Me too
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Lots of Victorians follow the Storm as well as AFL
The PTA has disbanded
Guest
Breaking: The NRL is shifting the game to 4pm. Common sense prevails. It was suicide by the NRL to possibly think they'd still get a good audience in a prime-time slot in Melbourne. I'd imagine a stack advertisers were fuming they'd be having their ads broadcast to zip all. Now for us people who are enlightened enough to enjoy two codes without the need to resort to cheap (generally homophobic) barbs for doing so, this is a sporting win-win. Am hitting the couch at 4pm and not getting off it until 10. Awesome.
The Mexican
Roar Rookie
For those of you thinking that Parramatta can beat Melbourne in the preliminary final because they beat the Storm twice in the regular season, I would like to remaind you that Melbourne lost to Canberra in the regular season but belted them in the preliminary final on their way to the premiership last year, in the unlikely event that Parra beats the Panthers next week, I have a feeling Parra would suffer the same fate as Canberra last year
Paul
Roar Guru
It really comes down to the broadcaster as well as the NRL, Randy. If those showing the game think they can make more money from showing it at a different time, you can bet they'd be pushing hard for the NRL to change it.
Randy
Roar Rookie
”? If the NRL thought it was missing out in hundreds of thousands of viewers, I’d reckon they’d move the game time." would they though? I don't think the NRL cares about viewers outside of NSW/QLD, they never have.
The PTA has disbanded
Guest
Presuming you don't run a business where you have a direct competitor for the attentions of people? "This is a woolworths forum and I don't care if coles are giving away free BBQ chickens when you spend $15 or more."
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Don't see the issue, this is a league forum and I personally could not give a toss what the AFL are doing.
clipper
Roar Rookie
Perhaps he thinks that those that don't watch the AFL will watch the Storm - instead they may just watch something else. Above all he should be ensuring that what little gains they have made in Melbourne aren't lost - just look at the ratings for Perth, which some want for the next expansion - just 7,000 for 2 finals matches - and 1,000 for pre match - don't think it can get much lower.
AJ73
Roar Rookie
I'll be cheering for the Dees, my mum is a fan and it would cheer her up as she has just been diagnosed with Demetia. All the best for your family and I hope you get to see a Dees flag!
Easy target
Roar Rookie
Well it's certainly not welcome at NRL HQ
The PTA has disbanded
Guest
The "so what" is very obvious, no?
The PTA has disbanded
Guest
Common sense commentary is not welcome here.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
If the games are on at the same time, you can probably sneak in a lot of the league during all the scrum resets and penalty goals in union :laughing:
Peter Griffin
Guest
This exact scenario happens every September with both codes vying for viewers. No, this is inaccurate. This exact scenario hasn't happened ever. The AFL and NRL generally have a clear window for their respective grand finals. This will be the first time that the AFL grand final has clashed with an NRL prelim. The difference this year is that PVL is absurdly arrogant and indignant of the AFL. It's quite unfair for the Storm to have been scheduled at the same time. The obvious answer was to put the Storm on the 24th and give them the clear air that they - the minor premiers - deserve.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Thats actually a really good point . Most of us though are watching for a very, very unlikely upset.
Harry
Guest
I'm sorry to hear about your father-in-law, Adam. I've often thought in the last couple of weeks how bittersweet it must be for Demons fans in Melbourne, finally seeing their club be the best in the league (so far) but being unable to go watch them in person. I'll be cheering for the Dees, as I suspect most neutrals will be - if they win it would be continue a quite incredible streak of drought-breakers in the AFL, after the Bulldogs and Richmond in recent seasons.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
I would have thought being minor premiers they would play their prelim final on the Friday, with the advantage of an extra days rest