NRL 2021: Covid crisis could see Grand Final to Queensland, Peter V’landys

First the AFL moved its grand final to Queensland. Now the NRL could be forced to follow suit by staging a historic grand final at Suncorp Stadium.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has revealed Queensland could be rewarded with the NRL grand final at Suncorp Stadium for saving rugby league during NSW’s Covid crisis.

V’landys told News Corp the home of Queensland rugby league is in the mix to host its first NRL decider should the ARL Commission be forced to shift the grand final from Sydney’s Stadium Australia.

The NRL brokered an arrangement with the NSW government in 2019 for the southern state to host the NRL grand final for the next 25 years as part of a proposed $2.1 billion upgrade of rugby league stadia.

But the latest Covid outbreak in Sydney forced the Telstra Premiership to embark on a $15 million relocation to Queensland on Wednesday — and now the Sunshine State is on standby to rescue the NRL grand final.

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Queenslanders have not seen a grand final on their home turf since the Broncos’ win in the 1997 Super League decider.

At this stage, all 16 NRL teams will remain on Queensland soil for the next month, but unless Covid infection rates improve, the NRL could be forced to stay for the final three months of the season.

Suncorp Stadium has previously been touted as a possible grand-final venue, but the prospect is now as real as ever in the wake of the Queensland government‘s Covid lifeline to the NRL.

V‘landys confirmed Suncorp Stadium is a genuine contingency should the NSW government ban crowds from attending this year’s NRL grand final, scheduled for Sunday, October 3.

“Suncorp has to be a consideration for the grand final, absolutely,” V‘landys said.

“A lot will depend on what the NSW government table and whether the game will be allowed to return to NSW.

“We are in the great unknown, we simply don‘t know how long the pandemic goes for and its impact on rugby league.

“The Queensland government has been our saviour. They have given us great assistance and the Premier (Annastacia Palaszczuk) has been fantastic in our negotiations.

“Anything is possible at the moment, including a Suncorp grand final.”

Suncorp Stadium is on standby to host this year’s NRL grand final if the Covid crisis in Sydney continues.

The AFL bucked longstanding traditions to shift their grand final from the MCG to the Gabba last year following the Covid ordeal in Melbourne and now their footballing rivals the NRL could follow suit.

Tourism industry experts believe a Suncorp grand final would inject an estimated $22 million to the Queensland economy. The NRL‘s Magic Round in May at Suncorp generated almost $20 million.

Queenslanders have not seen a rugby league decider on their turf since 1997, when 58,912 fans flocked to ANZ Stadium to watch the Broncos beat Cronulla 26-8 in Super League grand final.

Even if Homebush‘s Stadium Australia could operate at 50 per cent capacity, a full-house of 52,500 at Suncorp Stadium would be a more financially attractive proposition for an NRL administration that is counting every penny.

A three-month stay in Queensland, including finals football, would cost the NRL around $45 million in accommodation and travel expenses for more than 400 contracted players, plus their families.

Suncorp Stadium boss Alan Graham said the hallowed venue has the infrastructure to respond quickly if the NRL issues a grand-final SOS.

“If the NRL needs us, we will continue to do what they need,” Graham said.

“We’ll wait and see what happens over the next month but if the NRL has to stay on, we certainly have the infrastructure and planning for a grand final.

“We’re definitely available if we’re needed, but we don’t want to be seen as vultures circling either.

“The survival of the competition comes first, but certainly it would be great for Queenslanders to see an NRL grand final at Suncorp.

“I’ve long been campaigning for a grand final at Suncorp, but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.

“We have the systems in place and the expertise to deliver a major event for the NRL.

“We can move quickly if the NRL need us to host the grand final.”

Broncos legend Darren Lockyer says Suncorp is ready to host the NRL grand final.

Broncos and Maroons legend Darren Lockyer has won countless Origin games at Suncorp and urged the ARL Commission to reward the people of Queensland with an NRL grand final.

“We have been talking about it for more than a decade ... does Suncorp deserve a grand final,” Lockyer told Channel 9.

“The Queensland fans love their footy here and regardless of which teams are playing, they would get into the grand final.

“A grand final at Suncorp would be a big event.

“The best experience I had as a league player was running out at Suncorp in a Maroons jersey.

“For the two (grand-final) teams, it would be the ultimate because the atmosphere is unrivalled at Suncorp.”

NRL SET TO GO BUSH

The ARL Commission is exploring a Queensland-style Country Carnival as the NRL considers going bush during the Telstra Premiership’s stay in the Sunshine State.

News Corp can reveal the NRL is investigating the prospect of staging premiership matches at regional venues such as Toowoomba, Mackay and Gladstone to reward rugby league fans in country Queensland.

Toowoomba’s Clive Berghofer Stadium hosted a Dragons-Titans premiership game in 2018, the same year in which the Gold Coast played Manly at Gladstone’s Marley Brown Oval.

Mackay has an established history of hosting NRL matches, with the Bulldogs and Storm first playing a premiership match in 2012 in the town that helped develop Queensland Origin stars Daly Cherry-Evans, Dane Gagai and Kalyn Ponga.

The NRL is assessing whether to stage a series of regional games during one specific round, or take select premiership matches to bush venues over the course of the proposed month-long stay in Queensland.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys confirmed the NRL is keen to play premiership matches outside of Gold Coast’s Cbus Super Stadium and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium by visiting Queensland country centres.

“We’re investigating it, yes,” he said.

“I’ve asked the NRL to do a summary of areas and give me a report on some possible locations.

“I just think it’s a great opportunity to promote the game in all areas of Queensland.

“We don’t just want to confine NRL games to the Brisbane metro region. Queensland is a major rugby league heartland and it’s not just restricted to Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

“Anywhere we can go that is logistically possible and affordable, we will look at regional areas, absolutely.

“This gives us a once-in-a-generation chance to promote the game and have saturation promotion of the NRL in Queensland.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Covid crisis could see Grand Final to Queensland, Peter V’landys