Ivan Cleary deprived of chance to watch son Jett in NSW Cup final due to scheduling blackout
The NRL’s decision to give fans what they have wanted for years has come at a cost for Ivan Cleary, who will be deprived of the chance to watch his son in his biggest game of the season.
Ivan Cleary will miss watching his talented son Jett play in the biggest game of his rugby league career due to a scheduling blackout.
Amid frustration from both competing clubs to shift the kick-off time, the NSW Cup grand final between the Dragons and Warriors at CommBank Stadium will be played at almost the same time as the NRL preliminary final between the Broncos and Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
The NSW Cup grand final is scheduled for a 3.15pm kick-off while the NRL’s sold-out Suncorp Stadium blockbuster will start at 4.05pm.
The NSWRL say they are unable to shift the kick-off time due to a longstanding contractual arrangement with CommBank Stadium of which has been in place for the past two years, that includes playing the grand final on Sunday afternoon.
The NRL’s decision to give fans what they have been wanting for years, of more Sunday afternoon finals, is an unfortunate by-product of the scheduling clash.
In years gone by, both preliminary finals were played on Friday and Saturday nights. However, extraordinary crowd support and TV ratings led the NRL to shift to a Sunday preliminary final.
Due to the time clash, neither Fox Sports or Channel 9 will be able to televise the NSW Cup grand final.
Subscription live stream service BarTV Sports is poised to provide coverage of the battle for the reserve grade title.
2GB radio, who have called the NSW Cup grand final in the past, are also likely to opt to call the Broncos-Panthers clash.
It is a major blow for fans and the second-tier competition that will boast a string of NRL stars.
The Cleary family find themselves involved in both matches with Ivan and Nathan Cleary taking on the Broncos while Jett has been chosen on the bench for the Warriors.
Jett moved to New Zealand this season to develop his game out of the spotlight of his champion brother and has finished the season strongly over the past nine weeks, playing halfback with Tanah Boyd elevated to the NRL.
The grand final represents the biggest match of his career, but unfortunately none of his famous family will be able to witness it.
NSWRL CEO Dave Trodden explained why the timeslot couldn’t be changed.
“The NSWRL grand final Day is a prestigious event on our annual calendar and as such planning and scheduling is done well in advance (November the year prior), and in conjunction with the NRL,’’ Trodden said.
“The NSWRL also has a long-term contract with CommBank Stadium to host our Grand Final Day, which features the premiership-deciders for three of our top competitions, with dates also locked in, in advance.
“It is unfortunate that a late scheduling change by the NRL has created a clash in times, but in the best interests of all of our grand finalists in Jersey Flegg Cup, Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership and The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, our schedule will remain with matches at 11am, 1pm and 3.15pm respectively.”
Originally published as Ivan Cleary deprived of chance to watch son Jett in NSW Cup final due to scheduling blackout
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