NRL 2022 grand final: ARL Commission to decide location for showpiece event

A decision on 2022 NRL grand final location has suffered another setback after the NSW government’s decision to backflip on a $250 million commitment to fund suburban grounds.

The ARL Commission is set to keep Brisbane and Sydney waiting as they delay a decision on the site for this year’s grand final while they hold last-ditch talks with the NSW government over funding for suburban grounds.

The commission met bright and early on Monday morning, where they were expected to make a call on the host city for this year’s decider.

Rather than announcing whether Sydney and Brisbane would be given the honour, they opted to resume talks with the NSW government aimed at resolving their spat over the promised investment in 4 Pines Park on Sydney’s northern beaches, Pointsbet Stadium in Cronulla and Leichhardt Oval.

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The ARLC remains locked in talks with the NSW government.

News Corp understands that ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo held positive talks with new sports minister Alister Henskens late on Monday afternoon, walking away impressed with Henskens knowledge of the detail of the issue.

Further talks are expected to be held in coming days as the commission looks to make a call on the grand final by the end of the week.

V’landys confirmed the commission met on Monday morning but wanted to take more time before declaring a host city for the game’s showpiece event.

“We had a pretty good meeting and went through everything (this morning),” V’landys said.

“The board has decided that no decision will be made. We have further meetings with the government and we want to see where we get to with them.

“We’re sorting through it. Hopefully a resolution will be found. But as you can see we go to great lengths to protect the game.

“We will do what is best for the game, don’t worry about that.”

V’landys insisted head office wasn’t under time pressure to resolve the destination for the grand final.

“The grand final is not for another six or seven weeks,” V’landys said.

“The tickets sell pretty quickly. If it went to Queensland, they would sell it out in 24 hours. There is no problem there.”

There does, however, remain a problem between the ARL Commission and premier Dominic Perrottet over claims he backflipped on an agreement to invest in suburban grounds.

Asked by Ben Fordham on 2GB yesterday morning about suggestions he had shaken hands on an agreement with V’landys, Perrottet evasively replied: “Yes, Ben, we shake hands at every meeting. We had an agreement in relation to suburban stadiums and we still have a view and I have raised this very clearly, very clearly with Peter - in relation to suburban stadiums into the future.”

Perrottet, a Wests Tigers fan, would no doubt have watched with interest at the weekend when several people were injured when a fence collapsed at Leichhardt Oval - a ground he often attends.

The drama took place during a schoolboy rugby union game, giving credence to V’landys’ insistence that stadium regeneration is not just a rugby league issue.

However, Perrottet reiterated that the financial landscape had changed since the agreement was struck with the ARL Commission due to the need to use money for emergency funding.

“I have said to Peter V’landys and committed a significant amount - as this government has - to suburban stadiums.

“We have just received a flood inquiry that is going to cost the people of NSW billions of dollars to get people into homes.

“My job as premier is to not look after vested interests, my job as premier is to look after the people of NSW. I care more about getting people into homes.

“When circumstances change, you have to change priorities.”

Originally published as NRL 2022 grand final: ARL Commission to decide location for showpiece event