NRL 2022: Queensland doesn’t deserve to host the rugby league grand final

Any move to take the NRL grand final out of the ‘heart of rugby league’ would be a disgrace according to a great of the game.

Rugby league greats have slammed the NSW Government’s failure to guarantee funding for four Sydney suburban grounds – claiming a grand final in Brisbane would be “sad, disgraceful, wrong, disappointing and terrible.”

The NRL is being forced to consider shifting the NRL grand final to Brisbane unless the Government delivers on a promise to upgrade Brookvale Oval, Leichhardt Oval, Penrith Football Stadium and Shark Park.

In return for $250m in funding, the grand final would be played in Sydney until 2042.

A meeting on Monday between ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet could not reach a conclusion over the funding. V’landys is privately fuming after an initial funding agreement with the Government was struck in May.

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Benny Elias says Sydney and NSW is the heart of rugby league. Picture: Christian Gilles

Shifting the big game to Brisbane for a second successive year – it was played at Suncorp Stadium last year due to Covid – was met with anger by former league legends.

“It would be a disgrace if it went to Brisbane, terrible. Sydney has a 100 years of history when it comes to grand finals,” said Craig Coleman, who played 208 first grade games for South Sydney.

“NSW – and Sydney – is the home of rugby league. We can’t lose the grand final. It’s been played in Sydney for a hundred years and only went to Brisbane last year because of Covid.

“The history of grand finals shows the games are always played here in Sydney and we have to look after our history.

“All the past legends of those great teams from St George and Souths…all those grand finals were in Sydney.”

Benny Elias, the former Australian hooker, was equally mortified.

“The heart of rugby league is NSW – from 1908 until today,” Elias said. “It would be a sad day if we lost it to Queensland. It’s as simple as that.

“NSW is rugby league heartland – it’s the biggest state and the proudest state in this country.

“There are more Sydney sides in this NRL competition than any other state in Australia – by a mile.

“The grand final should always be in Sydney. We have far more muscle than Queensland.”

Ray Price says Brisbane has no right to the grand final. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Ex-Kangaroos and Parramatta lock Ray Price said Brisbane had no right to be awarded the biggest game of the NRL season.

“It would be wrong. Brisbane has two teams – big deal. Why take it to Brisbane? It doesn’t belong there,” Price said.

“Letting Queensland get the grand final, it doesn’t make me feel very good. Taking it to Brisbane would deny a lot of Sydney fans a chance to get to a grand final.”

Former Australian and NSW forward Bryan Fletcher also wants to keep the NRL premiership decider in Sydney.

“No to Brisbane, we want to keep it here. I just think it should be in Sydney. It’s always been in Sydney, which is the spiritual home of rugby league in Australia. We’ve all grown up having the grand final in Sydney,” Fletcher said.

“It could also get too hot up there in Brisbane during spring. Sydney has the perfect weather. Brisbane gets Magic Round. It would be disappointing if the grand final was taken to Brisbane.”

STADIUM STOUSH: WHY NSW IS ON ITS LAST CHANCE

– Brent Read

The NRL has been playing chicken with the NSW government for years now.

Enough is enough.

If the NSW government fails to honour its commitment to rugby league, the NRL should take the show on the road. Take the game to state governments who know how to make a deal and honour it. Reward leaders who understand that your word is your bond.

NSW has had their chance and they keep falling at the final hurdle. A promise was made, hands were shaken, documents were signed and now the NSW government seemingly wants to shift the goalposts.

ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo are understandably frustrated. They thought they had a deal.

Andrew Abdo and Peter V'landys thought they had a deal with the NSW government. Picture: Getty Images

Tickets for this year’s grand final should already be on sale but the state government’s stagnation has delayed a decision on the venue, let alone the price of a seat.

The Wests Tigers, Manly and Cronulla are in limbo. So too South Sydney, who have been agitating for a return to Moore Park as part of the ongoing stadium negotiations.

Those clubs were hitting the phones on Tuesday morning, desperate to find out where they stood after deputy leader Stuart Ayres, a man who is clinging to his position in government by the barest of fingernails, lobbed a grenade at Rugby League Central.

Ayres’s electorate of Penrith already has their stadium. Money has been put aside by the government to keep his people happy. The rest of the rugby league universe, well that’s another matter.

Queensland hosted the 2021 NRL grand final between Penrith and South Sydney. Picture: Josh Woning

The NSW government is on its last chance. Queensland hosted the grand final last year and did a hell of a job. If the NRL doesn’t get the answers they want by close of business on Tuesday, they need to get on the phone to the Queensland government and put a hold on Suncorp Stadium.

Enough is enough.