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'Outdated' NRL stance that 'needs to change' - CtrlF.XYZ

'Outdated' NRL stance that 'needs to change'

2 years ago 159

We've got an unthinkable commencement to the NRL finals series and the question needs to beryllium asked of the rugby league administrators; wherefore are we turning die-hard footy fans distant from the biggest games of the season?

We've got grudge matches, local-derbies, premiership winners facing their erstwhile clubs and protagonist bases who hatred each other, but rugby league tragics hopeless to unafraid a spot successful week 1 of the NRL finals are going to beryllium near bitterly disappointed.

I don't begrudge teams similar Cronulla and Penrith hosting their finals astatine venues similar PointsBet Stadium and BlueBet Stadium, but we're talking astir suburban grounds with a reduced capableness of 11,500 radical successful 'the shire' and 22,000 astatine the ft of the mountains.

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Yes, the rules let them to big a final, but they're outdated and request to change.

Why aren't we utilising the world-class facilities that person been built for the NSW taxpayers similar CommBank Stadium which holds 30,000, Accor Stadium with a capableness of 80,000 and the marque caller Allianz Stadium with capable country to big 42,500 people?

We're alternatively playing an NRL last astatine a crushed that mirrors a operation tract arsenic the Sharks physique their caller hotel, aesculapian centre and leagues nine connected the eastbound broadside of the stadium and astatine Penrith wherever they're waiting to find retired if the stadium volition beryllium knocked down and rebuilt oregon they'll beryllium getting a marque caller venue adjacent doorway connected the tract of the paceway.

The lone vantage to the clubs successful week 1 is the home-ground support. Financially, the wealth is made by the NRL, the league is liable for the operations connected crippled time and they request country to accommodate their VIP guests and sponsors.

I americium wholly stunned the league has fixed Shark Park the greenish airy to big a last by suggesting it "meets the standards" expected erstwhile we've haven't got capable abstraction for broadcasters, radical are lining up for 10 minutes to usage the toilet and the firm facilities aren't large capable to cater for the sponsors of the game.

The league could beryllium making hundreds of thousands of dollars by moving Friday night's occidental Sydney derby to Accor Stadium. Imagine the ambiance wrong the erstwhile Olympic stadium arsenic the Penrith Panthers tackle the Parramatta Eels.

I person nary uncertainty they'd pull anyplace betwixt 70,000 and 80,000 people, we're alternatively playing it astatine the ft of the mountains which lone caters for 22,000. Name maine a concern anyplace successful the satellite prepared to crook distant 50,000 people?

The aforesaid goes for the qualifier betwixt Cronulla and North Queensland connected Saturday night. Why bounds yourself to 11,500 radical erstwhile you could utilise the marque caller Allianz Stadium wherever they'd comfortably acceptable the 20,000 footy fans wanting to cheer connected the Sharks and the Cowboys? Not to notation the accidental for Cowboys supporters to alert successful from Townsville and enactment successful the Sydney CBD which is lone a hop, skip and leap from Moore Park.

NSW manager Brad Fittler summed it up champion connected Nine's The Sunday Footy Show saying "at immoderate signifier it needs to alteration … with the stadiums we person astatine the moment, there's an due stadium to play bigger games.

"Semi finals, we speech astir it being a antithetic game, truthful play it astatine antithetic fields.

"Get the crowds, bask the trek to wherever they've got to play, spell arsenic a large posse and spell and cheer for your team."

I americium the archetypal idiosyncratic to usage my level connected vigor oregon done the Wide World of Sports website to enactment the usage of suburban grounds due to the fact that they beforehand tribalism successful our game, but erstwhile it comes to the NRL finals series, we cannot support limiting ourselves. ARL Commission president Peter V'Landys spoke to the News Corp papers precocious declaring "the teams person earnt the close to big location finals … my absorption is connected their loyal fans."

"This is simply a reward they get for turning up each week … sometimes it's not each astir dollars, you've got to reward loyalty.

"I recognize we could marque much wealth astatine different venue … but you can't bargain loyalty, I'd similar to suffer wealth successful situations similar this."

If the absorption of the ARL Commission is connected the loyal fans of the game, the question remains; wherefore are we turning thousands of radical distant from the archetypal week of the NRL finals?

Let maine cognize your thoughts by sending done an email to the WWOS Radio amusement by clicking connected this link; https://form.jotform.co/70601482897867

Wide World of Sports Radio is heard from 6pm AEST connected 2GB 873am with Mark Levy and co-hosts Billy Slater (Monday), Paul Gallen (Tuesday) and Brad Fittler (Wednesday).

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