NRL grand final 2020: Schedule delay could force SCG- Bankwest switch
If the NRL season is forced to run into November, a schedule clash with the summer of cricket could force the NRL to shift the grand final from the SCG — and lock out even more fans.
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The $810 million ANZ Stadium redevelopment could be delayed by five months to keep the venue open if the NRL is forced to shift this year’s grand final from the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Rugby league’s showpiece event, usually set down for the first Sunday in October, faces the prospect of being postponed due to the coronavirus threat as the NRL looks to extend its season well into November.
The scheduled October 4 grand final day could be scrapped if there is any delay to the season, putting rugby league on a collision course with cricket over the use of the SCG.
The SCG however will be formally handed over to the ICC from October 10 for the start of the T20 World Cup. The first SCG World Cup game will pit Australia against Pakistan on October 24.
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SCG ground staff would need around three weeks before the handover to prepare the pitch and outfield. Stadiums also have a lockout stage around a week before any major event.
It means the grand final would need to be moved from the SCG.
A Memorandum of Understanding with the NSW Government — based around the $1.2 billion stadiums deal — states all grand finals must be played in NSW until 2046.
That essentially rules out any move to take the grand final north to Brisbane’s 52,500-seat Suncorp Stadium or Townsville’s new QCB Stadium.
If ANZ Stadium is unavailable, The Daily Telegraph has been told that Parramatta’s Bankwest Stadium is another candidate to host rugby league’s biggest club match, but it only holds 30,000 fans.
Given the furore around hosting the grand final in the reduced 48,000-seat SCG, further cutting that back a further 18,000 to host it at the boutique Bankwest Stadium would anger fans everywhere.
ANZ Stadium is due to be decommissioned after an NRL match between Canterbury and South Sydney on June 27. The ground is due to host State of Origin II six days earlier, although there are talks about moving the Origin series to after the grand final.
There is also speculation the redevelopment would be scrapped entirely, although that remains a remote possibility.
There is now growing pressure that the refurbishment’s commencement date could be delayed until November to host this year’s grand final.
Any delay would be financially costly but at least give the NRL an 83,000 seat option for their decider.
A spokesman for Acting NSW Sports Minister Geoff Lee said there had been no discussions yet about delaying the construction.
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The NRL and SCG Trust are aware of the possible shift, as is management at ANZ Stadium and Bankwest Stadium.
NRL management will discuss the matter in-depth during coming weeks once it is known whether the competition will be suspended.
Any holdup at ANZ Stadium could impact on Australia’s 2023 bid for the women’s football World Cup.
A revamped ANZ Stadium was to re-open in 2023 but that could now be delayed if demolition was pushed back five months.
The final T20 World Cup game at the SCG would be a semi-final on November 11.
It would be unlikely the NRL grand final would be played at the ground after this date because it would still be configured for cricket, including a significant pitch square.
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The only other scenario would be Queensland making a huge offer encouraging the NRL to break its NSW Government contract and play at Suncorp Stadium.
October 10 is also looming as a potential deadline date for the MCG to host this year’s grand final. Following that point, like the SCG, control of the ground will be handed to the ICC.
Speaking on SEN this morning, MCC CEO Stuart Fox said access to the ground for AFL games could extend into the first two weeks of October.
“After that it becomes very challenging. We have a contract in place with the ICC and cricket is bringing a World Cup to Australia. We need to think about how significant that is to Australia, the economy, viewership around the world,” he said.