NRL 2023: Brisbane CEO responds to Penrith’s call to ban Broncos from playing Suncorp Stadium

Brisbane boss Dave Donaghy has responded to Penrith’s home-ground advantage claims, dismissing the ploy as a tactic to destabilise their biggest premiership threat.

CEO Dave Donaghy, Brisbane Broncos training, Red Hill. Picture: Liam Kidston

Brisbane boss Dave Donaghy has hit back at his Panthers rival over claims the Broncos should be banned from playing a preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium.

Tensions between big guns the Broncos and Panthers intensified after Penrith chief executive Brian Fletcher called for grand final qualifiers to be played at neutral venues, saying Brisbane have an unfair advantage at Suncorp.

The Broncos will host the Warriors at Suncorp on Saturday night before an expected sellout of 52,000, just a fortnight about thumping Melbourne 26-0 at the home of Queensland rugby league to advance to the preliminary final.

Fletcher is aggrieved because while the Broncos stay at home for the second consecutive week, defending premiers Penrith must shift to Accor Stadium at Homebush for their sudden-death showdown with the Storm on Friday night.

Fletcher is trying any tactic to destabilise the team regarded as the biggest threat to their hopes of the NRL’s first Three-Peat in 40 years, but Donaghy scoffed at suggestions the Broncos should be kicked out of Suncorp for a grand-final qualifier.

Dave Donaghy dismissed Penrith’s call to ban Brisbane from playing at Suncorp Stadium.

“We have earned the right to play at Suncorp, of course we have,” Donaghy said.

“Look, I have a lot of respect for ‘Fletch’ and I can understand their frustrations, but you aren’t comparing apples and apples.

“The reality is in Brisbane we are fortunate to have a world-class stadium that holds 50,000-odd people.

“It will be a hell of a spectacle.

“For rugby league fans, Saturday night at Suncorp will be pretty special.”

Donaghy argued the Warriors could be more of a threat at Suncorp than Sydney because of their large contingent of Kiwi fans in south-east Queensland.

“The Warriors have been an amazing story this year, as we have as well,” he said.

“The Warriors have a huge supporter base here in Brisbane.

“They are a team representing their whole country and there are a lot of Kiwis based throughout Australia.

“But I’m confident we will have more support and we will make some noise on Saturday night.”

The Warriors’ recent record at Suncorp against Brisbane is respectable.

They have faced the Broncos three times in the past five years, thumping Brisbane 26-6 in 2018 and drawing 18-18 the following season, before suffering a narrow 24-22 loss in 2023 despite scoring five tries to four.

Broncos centre Herbie Farnworth says the Warriors have every reason to be confident of a Suncorp ambush.

“At Suncorp, it’s always going to be a big game between us and the Warriors,” he said.

“Actually, I would say the Warriors would want to play at Suncorp rather than Sydney.

“It played my second (NRL) game against the Warriors at home and I remember it being packed out just for a normal round game.

“Being a finals game, it will be hectic.

“It probably suits both of us to be honest, but I guess it’s a valid point (from the Panthers about Brisbane getting a home advantage).”

Panthers boss Fletcher called for the NRL to scrap home-ground advantage in week three of the finals.

“The system in place has to be updated to give everybody an equal chance,” he said.

“It should be that everybody has the chance to play their semi-finals at home in week one and week two.

“But, after that, every other final should be played at a neutral, major stadium.

“Brisbane gets two semi-finals at home and it’s unfair. Why should they play two semi-finals at home?

“We’d love to play this game at Penrith but the rules don’t allow us that and our next choice is Accor Stadium.”

Originally published as NRL 2023: Brisbane CEO responds to Penrith’s call to ban Broncos from playing Suncorp Stadium