Parramatta set for crowd record as 30,000 flock to Bankwest Stadium

The record for biggest rugby league crowd in Parramatta will be broken when the Eels host the Wests Tigers in the Bankwest Stadium opener.

The Eels are set to play the Wests Tigers at the brand new Bankwest Stadium on Monday. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The record for biggest rugby league crowd in Parramatta will be broken when the Eels host the Wests Tigers in the Bankwest Stadium opener.

Stadium officials are preparing for a capacity of 30,000 people on Monday in what will be the first event held inside the $330 million venue.

It will eclipse the 27,918 crowd that witnessed Australia’s 58-0 rout of France in a rugby league Test match in July, 1994.

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The record for a domestic rugby league game was set in the first year of its previous incarnation as Parramatta Stadium in 1986, when 27,243 people watched the Eels beat South Sydney.

It will be the first NRL match held in Parramatta since the Eels were forced to temporarily relocate to Homebush at the end of the 2016 season. In that time, Parramatta won 18 of 32 games at ANZ Stadium.

Bankwest Stadium under lights. (AAP/Brendon Thorne)

While their two-year wait is finally over, Eels coach Brad Arthur has been quick to remind his players to ensure they make the most of the occasion.

“We’ve got to make it an advantage. It’s just not going to happen,” Arthur said.

“Our attitude has got to be the priority and then the stadium and our fans will take care of the rest of it.

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“But the stadium’s not going to do it for us. Our attitude has to be spot on to what we need to try and get done in our performances.”

Star Blake Ferguson is expected to play through a rib injury with the aid of a painkilling injection, while Arthur has called on two young forwards on his bench.

Ray Stone and Oregon Kaufusi have been added to the bench in place of the more experienced Kane Evans and David Gower.

They take on a Tigers side that could move into the top four with a win.

“Defensively, they’re a typical Maguire-coached team. They kick the ball long, chase it hard, and they make it very tough for you with the ball,” Arthur said.

Originally published as Parramatta set for crowd record as 30,000 flock to Bankwest Stadium