As sure as night follows day, Sydney rugby league fans will complain about stadiums. There’s too many, or not enough, and the ones that exist are either too small or too big, depending on what day of the week it is.
It was inevitable that, following the weekend’s fixtures, there would be uproar that Cronulla will play their home final at their home stadium. Wouldn’t it be better if they played it at Roosters’ stadium? It is bigger, after all.
Well…not really. Cronulla finished sixth, earning themselves the right to play at their own stadium. That’s the rules of the competition. If the Roosters had finished sixth, they would have earned that right too.
The whole fans-locked-out narrative implies that the competition should be seen by as many people in person as possible, which, while it is a nice idea, is totally out of keeping with about the last century of Sydney sports fan behaviour not to mention the ethics of the competition as it was when they kicked off in March.
This is the city where fans stay home if it might rain, is a bit cold or warm enough to go to the beach, and Roosters fans have historically been among the guiltiest for this.
They didn’t get their reputation for dressing like seats for nothing, and while that has improved since the new ground opened, their average attendance over the decade prior is not markedly different to the Sharks’ despite having thousands more seats.
Shark Park is the smallest standalone venue in the competition – Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium is smaller, but one of two used by the Dolphins – and it is undoubtedly annoying for fans that won’t make it that they will have to watch on TV.
But imagine that Cronulla isn’t at the end of the T4 line, but is instead in, say, Cairns. What then? They’d obviously get to play at home.
When the Cowboys made the Prelim last year, nobody said that they should shift the game to a bigger stadium. They played the game in the same stadium they always do, because that’s why we have home advantage built into the system.
One of the joys of the first round of the finals is that teams, especially those in the lower half of the eight, do get to play in their own ground. When you get to the tough stuff, most don’t object to taking that to the bigger venues, and indeed, welcome it as their own supporter base outstrips the size of their regular stadium.
In practice, this debate only applies to Cronulla, Manly and, at a push, the Dragons, who could theoretically choose between two stadiums of roughly similar size.
It’s an interesting thought experiment: the last time the Dragons had a home final, in 2010, they played it in Wollongong, which would be the obvious choice in terms of generating home field advantage. Why should the people of Wollongong miss out because the only team they have is half in Sydney?
Notably, Penrith have a 22,500 limit, less than WIN Stadium, but there has been little clamour for them to move to CommBank Stadium or Accor Stadium, despite the Warriors having a huge Sydney-based fanbase.
What other sports do in this situation is to treat the smaller ground as a novel quirk of the system, something that adds flavour rather than takes it away.
In this year’s Champions League, two sides have qualified for the Group Stages with sub-20,000 seater stadiums, but have taken markedly different approaches.
Union Berlin will shift their ties from their 22,000 capacity Stadion An der Alten Försterei, as quaint a home ground as it comes with three sides of terracing, to the massive, if slightly soulless 75,000 all seater Olympiastadion, home of their rivals Hertha Berlin.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Royal Antwerp, however, will host Barcelona in a stadium smaller than Shark Park because they think it gives them the best chance of winning and because they earned the right to.
Nobody in Belgium is asking for the game to be moved 45 minutes down the road to the 50,000 seater King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
The secondary line of argument has been that the Roosters do not own the ground, therefore it isn’t home advantage because it’s the NSW government’s to rent out to whoever, including Cronulla.
It’s quite a funny idea – one that would surprise Souths, who have long wanted to use the stadium their taxes paid for – but misses the point. There’s a Roosters logo on the outside and they play all their games there, not to mention training at the stadium.
The third, interlinked idea, is that the NSW Government has over a billion dollars’ worth of stadium unused, given that neither Allianz nor CommBank Stadium will get a finals game if the current setup holds.
The obvious answer, of course, is that the reason they don’t get a game is because the teams that call them home aren’t good enough. Parramatta, Canterbury and the Wests Tigers didn’t make the finals, while the Roosters didn’t get a home final – and that’s that.
We run a competition based on incurring greater advantage by achieving top two, then top four, then top six, then top eight. You earn the home Prelim, the second crack and then the home eliminator on the field.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
If the call was made, as it has been in the past, to centralise stadia early, then the Sharks might have been in the invidious situation where they could pick between the Roosters in their home ground – dressed up as a Sharks game – or a trip to Canberra, which would have been the case had they lost last Sunday.
Given the terrible form of the Raiders, the sensible choice might have been to tank the last round of the regular season and take their chances in the capital rather than running into a red hot Roosters at home.
The NRL is a competition of peaks and troughs, and in other years, five of the eight Sydney clubs have made the finals.
Teams like Cronulla, but also Manly, Penrith and the Dragons, earn the right to play where they want, for the first weekend at least.
Once it gets to Prelims, then it’s reasonable to concentrate grounds, if only because even the home team’s fanbase gets too big.
But before that point, the most obvious choice remains to play at home. If fans don’t like it, they can take it up with their own side for not finishing high enough.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
As bad as NSW giving home games away
wilbas
Roar Rookie
That's right...we nominate neutral grounds and we test the sides with no slant on the event.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
As a Manly fan watching them trek to Brisbane for their home game against Brisbane for the last few years annoys the hell out of me. I know it's an earner for the club but seriously it has to stop
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Wouldn't worry me at all if the whole series were at neutral grounds.. that doesn't mean however that the Roosters should get to play their semi at the SFS. It should be Commbank or Homebush.. Likewise if Souths and the Dogs make it in future years they should be made to play at SFS or Commbank
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Finals were on neutral grounds in the days when finals were played at the SCG. GF now played at Accor which is a neutral ground but the other two big grounds, Allianze and CommBank stadiums are both home grounds for clubs. If they want to do away with home grounds for finals. Play them all at these three.
criag
Roar Rookie
I was talking about the Roosters ‘falling backwards into the finals’ comment. The NRL is a marathon, not a sprint. As I said, I don’t have a problem with the Sharks having a home final…they’ve earned it.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
As others have mentioned, there are people out there who suddenly decide they have to go to a final game because their team is playing, even though they've not been to a regular season game or probably not even bothered to watch on TV. Clubs try to do the right thing by supporters who are more committed, ie have season memberships, but all it takes these days is one whinger to go online, the journos get a hold of the story and it's front page news. Have you noticed it's now Friday and I've not seen or heard anything about this issue for a couple of days, other than some banter like this? Clearly it can't have been that big an issue if it's no longer up for discussion.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
That's true...I think the clubs get some...but they begin selling before the two teams are decided...So you have a lot of people there just for the grand final and do not support either team. That is dumb....If the crowd comprised totally support for the two teams then you create a dynamic event...If I'm a tigers supporter then I don't really care...I could prefer one team but my heart is not in it.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
It's been an age since I last went to a finals game, but I thought the NRL decided the times and venues on the Sunday night after the last regular season match and tickets went on sale on the Monday? I guess the problem these days is people having to use computers to buy tickets. Many of us would miss out because we're Neanderthals when it comes to this sort of thing!
wilbas
Roar Rookie
The great problem with ticket sales for grand final is they are available before the two sides are decided so we get a crowd full of people who support neither side. The sale of tickets should run after the sides are decided so we create a full atmosphere of truie supporters hanging on to the edge of their seats.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
You are right...these games have to be events and the crowd is what makes a game an event...Otherwise it is a game in the park.. I would like to see the back end of home games in semi-finals and return to neutral grounds..At present 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd get the advantage of playing on if the lose or a rest if they win...Why don't we set up some huge fans to control the wind direction and speed based on for and against...if we are giving advantages for positions finished. Return to the neutral ground and lets test the two sides on the day.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
The whole idea of home game advantage in semi-finals is wrong to begin with....People say they earnt the right..No..the right they earn is who they play and benefits given if they win or lose. It was not long ago that all finals were on neutral venues and we should return to it again. Teams don't even have home advantage through the year sometimes playing a team once and at their home ground or sometimes at your home ground. Why should a team be given a crowd of bias support...next they should select the referee?
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
Typical Tom G
Tom G
Roar Rookie
The rules were clear whether you agree with them or not. The NRL sets the criteria for home games and, as it was from the start of the season, the teams playing those lower get the home ground advantage. If the NRL were sufficiently concerned about capacity they should have changed the rules then, not now. Being objective about this I think the notion of moving this game to the SFS would be farcical as it reverses the intent of their own rule to provide a hime game to the lower placed side. Homebush and Commbank are light years from the Shire, not great for Eastern Sydney either, so if you want to have home semis, and to be honest I don’t give a rats if they do or don’t, this is what you’re stuck with.
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
Hi Tom, The finals are still a very special time for the fans and also the brand. I wouldn't have a problem with it if Shark Park could seat 30k and didn't resemble a construction site. The Sharks have earned the right to have a home final however there should be criteria so fans don't miss out and the brand is showcased at a appropriate stadium. How far either team progresses is irrelevant!
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Brookvale is still a crap ground. The new "stand" behind the goal is hardly worth celebrating. The main stand is still rubbish, the hill is barely a hill. Campbelltown is a dive. Kogarah has seen better days, and the oval shape of it is annoying.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
But it isn’t a grand final mate… it’s a game between two teams that’ll probably be gone after next weekend. If the NRL want the hype then abandon home grounds for the finals entirely.. then stand back and watch the non sydney teams howl
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
It's wrong to use the airport as an example. The airport stations are privately owned. From Mascot (literally the next stop) it's $7.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Um, who cares about the rest of the state? The NRL and the AFL gear their entire competitions around urban centres, with only token matches outside the cities. It is actually forced , as Geelong have no choice in the matter . They do. Stop talking about stuff you don't know.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
But the fan bases aren't, Rellum. How is that not sinking in? Do you honestly reckon everyone who lives more than 8km from the Melbourne CBD doesn't follow AFL at all?! Your argument is as ridiculous and as shortsighted as saying all Souths fans still live in Redfern...