So, how was your Grand Final? If only that Facebook outage came a day earlier, us South fans could have been saved the ignominy of the entire city uniting in our misery.
I suppose a begrudging congratulations to Penrith is in.
Sure. Fine. Totally over it. Whatever.
As it was, I spent my Sunday morning at a non-descript London pub as an emotionally mangled wreck, oscillating between tiredness, intoxication and hungover regret.
With almost comedic inopportune timing, Rabbitohs supporters will now be facing the ridicule of their colleagues, neighbours and friends as Sydney finally opens up. Of course, it was the lockdown that necessitated the switch to Queensland, the first major final played away from Sydney since that 1997 Super League Final at the QEII Stadium (check out Steve Mascord’s upcoming book).
For all the controversy of the relocation, the viewing experience will not have been adversely impacted for most viewers. The majority of fans watch on TV, taking precedence over match-going punters.
Admittedly, there were only half the number of people at Suncorp that can usually fit into the Olympic Stadium – if anyone can tell me the scientific logic in 75 per cent capacity limits, please let me know.
I have continuously pontificated over the importance of fans and their attendance as the soundtrack of the sport, but the powers that be would beg to differ. From the penchant for regular-season games at the soulless ANZ goldfish bowl to incomprehensibly impractical kick-off times, it is TV eyeballs and corporate sales that matter the most.
The lack of communal engagement and general fan paraphernalia should not be conflated with the geography of this year’s match. Usually, the streets are buzzing, and municipalities lit up with club colours in the week preceding. Obvious circumstances meant that was not a possibility.
Had Brisbane hosted, say, the 2014 Grand Final, there would have been the same raucous support in Bankstown and Marrickville, even if the game took place in the Sunshine State.
In light of this year’s event, will we see future Grand Finals staged away from New South Wales? History and tradition are often sighted as reasons for keeping it in Sydney. The NRL, the Super League War’s status quo post-bellum, ultimately traces its lineage back to the NSWRL.
There are 8.5 franchises in Sydney, and 11 within reasonable driving distance of Stadium Australia. Logistically, for fans at least, it makes far more sense for such a ‘local’ location.
But the NRL has callously disregarded match-going fans’ concerns for some time now. With the advent of merged clubs, ‘history and tradition’ are concepts cast asunder, only relevant when there’s clear monetising potential.
On that, the reason the Grand Final has stayed in one city for so long is, as ever, down to money. The NRL signed an agreement to keep the main event in Sydney until the 2040s as part of a $2.1 billion stadium deal.
As demonstrated by such a deal, and the travelling spectacle that is State of Origin, elite rugby league spectacles can be bought. And with the NSW Government canning that previously arranged deal “due to COVID”, it opens the opportunity for tendering anew.
From a sporting perspective, it would provide the perfect opportunity to spread the game. Brisbane is just as much rugby league heartland as Sydney, perhaps even more. With a second side joining the competition, then why not?
More to the point, offering the Grand Final to the highest bidder can help a league still reeling from COVID restrictions. With the 2032 Olympics, Lang Park may even see its capacity increased in line with Sydney. If not, the difference between 50,000 and 80,000 is an irrelevance when the big bucks are earned from corporate sales and state government payments.
It even raises the spectacle of a Grand Final in such exotic locations as Perth, Melbourne, and Auckland. There’s money to be made from visiting fans and world-class ‘events’. Such a move would certainly make the game more associative and demonstrably in reach of much of Australia (and possibly New Zealand).
This weekend will see the Super League’s Grand Final between St Helens and Catalans Dragons. The onset of French success has seen chatter about the fitness and fairness of Manchester as the perennial host venue, with a whole host of European cities capable of putting on such an event.
The current showpiece feels stagnant, too reliant on the same old, and afraid of bigger thinking (a perfect metaphor for English rugby league).
The NRL can stay one step ahead of the game. Sydney will not tire of rugby league, but that should not preclude other cities from demonstrating equal enthusiasm for putting on the big one.
Moving the Grand Final could theoretically happen. It would be a positive move, albeit done for self-interested reasons. Such is life.
Ben Lewis
Roar Pro
Taking aside the fact I firmly believe it should never be held outside of Sydney, from a player welfare perspective playing the GF in Brisbane is risky. October in Brisbane is humid, hot, and hazardous. Even this year the players looked noticeably fatigued throughout the game.
GWSingapore
Roar Rookie
Ideally cities should bid for the Grand Final. I think after Covid it would be fantastic in Singapore. However, I strongly believe that Queenslanders deserve the grand final at least once every five years. Queenslanders have strongly supported rugby league throughout its history, produced a huge number of great players, many of whom were taken by Sydney Clubs pre NRL days. Why should Queenslanders be short-changed? The existing NSW contract can easily be amended by pushing out the end date each year that a match is played in Brisbane.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Should we stop celebrating ANZAC Day because there is no one left from WW I and WW II? To me noip, history is important for context. Lest we forget.
Heyou
Roar Rookie
Go Jimmy
no one in particular
Roar Guru
20 of them are old enough to be paid a pension
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
GB, One little fact you have forgotten is of those 21 premierships is only 1 is an NRL Premiership, the rest are NSWRL so let's not get carried away .
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Sometimes Matt it's hard to see things any other way with the sunlight reflecting off 21 premierships trophies. :laughing: Besides, there is a mountain of documented evidence in the media to undeniably corroborate my "allegations" concerning the Panthers rorting the competition. So much evidence in fact that it makes the endless trail of postal bags with letters mailed to Santa at the end of "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) seem pretty pale by comparison. :silly:
matth
Roar Guru
It must be great to be a Rabbitohs supporter. Even when you're beaten you're never actually beaten.
matth
Roar Guru
Jimmy Maloney is a treasure. One of the winningest winners to ever play.
matth
Roar Guru
Despite living in the “Sunshine State”, I’m happy for the grand final to stay in Sydney. There is a tradition to this. State of Origin is the game that can be shopped around, given there are three a year. Suncorp is such a better purpose built football stadium that 39,000 there was plenty for atmosphere.
The Barry
Roar Guru
The sticking point is the contract with the NSW government. It doesn’t matter who’s in charge of the NRL they’ve always put money ahead of fans and engagement If we started with a clean slate, I’d say maybe once every five years or so in Queensland would be great for the game. Maybe once every ten years somewhere else We did it through necessity this year and the sky didn’t fall in
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm guessing if the NRL tried to renegotiate the current contract, most of the $2.1 billion mentioned in this article would be the cost the NRL would have to pay, in order to appease the NSW Gov't. Right now, there are lots of finals games played at the home grounds of teams who make the top 8. There's also no point using NRL money trying to break a deal, when the money that's wasted could be used on other aspects of the game.
Rellum
Roar Guru
It should come to Brisbane e very 5 years at least, at minimum but Sydney think they own the game so it never will again.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I’d be surprised if they substantially increased capacity at Lang Park for the Olympics. They’re using the Gabba for track and field, which is where the major upgrade money will go.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
I suppose a begrudging congratulations to Penrith is in... to their fans perhaps Sam but not to a team best referred to as "Ocean's Seventeen". Best thieves I've seen since that movie franchise. So slick that people are trying to convince themselves they won fair and square. Mind you, I'm not complaining about how the game was handled in the GF. Just every Panthers game leading up to that where they were given every possible advantage. Up to and including one of the softest draws in 2021. They should have been eliminated in the semi-final if the game had been refereed by a competent referee other than Ashley Klein. As to your point Sam, since the Rabbitohs had 90% plus of the Suncorp stadium crowd wearing cardinal and myrtle they wouldn't notice the difference between that and Telstra stadium so I don't mind either way.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
tradition is an excuse not to move forward. Super Bowl moves every year, Champions League moves every year, World Cup hosts always change. If tradition was important then the Olympics would never leave Athens. Even the Grand Final was traditionally held at the SCG, then it moved next door, then out to Homebush. If tradition was important it would still be at the SCG. The GF wouldn't mean less if it was held in Brisbane
Nat
Roar Guru
Aside from the 1000 year contract the NRL took with the NSW State Govt it's hghly unlikely they would move it to Brisbane for the sake of it. I disagree with selling it off the AFL states. Origin is one thing because we can always have a game in Qld and NSW as well but the Grand Final is a once off for the year and deserves to be given to the RL fans. At least it has been proven that Lang Park will sell out even if it is 2 Sydney clubs. I've been following the SL finals and pleasantly surprised to see the Full sgn going up in the French stadiums. I remember when Falou went there and the only attendees were protesters. Jmmy Maloney in another GF with the Dragons, his record is incredible. I mean this with all due respect (because it is a generalisation) but "ignominy of the entire city uniting in our misery.". Are Souths fans born with this massive chip? Who is laughing at Souths let alone an entire city? Penrith won, they are the focus and who people are celebrating. Only Souths fans could turn a tough loss into 'everyone hates us'.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Could it happen - Yes . Will it happen - probably not unless this pandemic goes longer than we expect . One point the author did make that we have 11 NSW centric teams, 12 if you count Warriors at the moment so while we have that imbalance and the control by NSW minded administration it will stay in Sydney for years to come .
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
The GF needs to remain at Stadium Australia as it's now called. Moving it around hurts the allure of the game and is not necessary even if it makes a few extra dollars. The AFL GF is at the MCG every year aside from Covid interruptions and it's a great tradition. How do expect to replicate that if your move the game every year
no one in particular
Roar Guru
then why not? Because the NRL have a contract of the NSW govt