NRL 2022 grand final location: Sydney wins bid to host decider

Grand sale, grand sale — The NRL Grand Final will be open to a bidding war after the NSW Government failed to land a long-term deal to secure the game’s showpiece.

Sydney’s Accor Stadium will host the 2022 NRL grand final.

The ARL Commission has sensationally put the NRL grand final up for sale in a Super Bowl-style arrangement after awarding this year’s decider to Sydney for only one season.

After months of tense negotiations, the NRL has sufficiently smoked the peace pipe with the NSW government and denied Queensland was used as a pawn after Sydney’s Accor Stadium was granted the decider on Sunday, October 2.

But in a blow for the NSW government, a long-term 20-year deal to host the NRL grand final until 2042 has collapsed following a breakdown in talks over an $800 million suburban stadium funding deal.

While Sydney has reclaimed the NRL grand final this season, ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys confirmed rugby league’s showpiece event will now emulate America’s Super Bowl by going to the highest bidder for 2023 and beyond.

“After extensive negotiations we have made a decision and that is to hold the game in Sydney this year,” V’landys said.

“It has been a hard decision because the Queensland Premier has been fantastic to deal with.

“I should point out the NSW government has succeeded this year, but this is only for one year, negotiations will recommence for future grand finals … it opens the door for a Super Bowl-style concept and whoever can give us the best deal.

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Sydney’s Accor Stadium will host the 2022 NRL grand final.

“Unfortunately the NSW government hasn’t agreed on funding for the stadiums and community assets. This is only a one-year deal and from next year on, the NRL grand final is on the table.

“If you look at the Super Bowl concept, the NRL grand final could go anywhere.

“We have four clubs in Queensland and if you look at it pro-rata, Queensland should get the NRL grand final one in four years.”

The decision will come as a relief for thousands of rugby league fans who expressed outrage at their inability to book travel and accommodation as the ARLC dithered over a location six weeks out from the NRL decider.

Queensland made a desperate late surge and were rated a “60-40” chance of stealing the grand final after tabling a proposal that included hosting up to three NRL deciders as a preamble to the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.

But Queensland’s bold bid for consecutive deciders at Suncorp Stadium has failed.

Suncorp Stadium won’t host the 2022 NRL grand final but could be in the frame again from next year. Picture: Josh Woning

Having navigated the Covid crisis, the NRL has opted to return the grand final to rugby league’s traditional home in Sydney after Penrith and Souths played last year’s decider at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

V’landys confirmed the decision went down to the wire with Queensland going close to pulling off a $10 million Suncorp Stadium heist.

“The mail about Queensland being a 60-40 chance was spot on,” he said.

“If we didn’t have discussions with the NSW government yesterday, it could have definitely gone to Queensland.

“Queensland and the NRL have always had an excellent relationship and they have been great to deal with.”

The ARLC mulled over a late charge from the Queensland government following a breakdown in talks between chairman V’landys and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

Mindful of the Mexican stand-off, Queensland attempted to swoop, offering to host multiple NRL grand finals as premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ramped up plans to blow the NSW government out of the water.

Palaszczuk said she was open to negotiating with the NRL in the future following the success of last year’s Suncorp event.

“This was always the NRL’s decision, we wish them well,” she said.

“If they ever want to bring the grand final back to Queensland we’re always willing to talk.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

But Sydney has prevailed in a relief for Perrottet, who was embroiled in a war of words with V’landys after reneging on an $800 million suburban stadium funding pledge due to the state’s flood crisis.

It is understood the NSW government came back to the table with a beefed-up package and that was enough to convince the ARL Commission to hand the NRL grand final to Sydney’s Accor Stadium over Suncorp.

Perrottet revealed his government had offered more money than ever to retain the game’s showpiece event.

“We put a very fair and reasonable offer to the NRL in relation to keeping the grand final,” Perrottet said.

“That is commercially in confidence. It is probably not as much as Queensland have offered but it is more than we have paid in the past.

“I have made it very clear that the game should remain in our great state. It has been an institution for our people and that is where it should remain.

“The grand final has always been in NSW except for last year during Covid. Ultimately I have to make decisions in the best interests of NSW. We have gone through a very difficult time in our state over the last four years with bush fires, droughts, floods and the pandemic.”