NRL Grand Final 2021: Suncorp Stadium to host 40,000 fans after Queensland avoids snap lockdown
Suncorp Stadium will host close to 40,000 fans for Queensland’s maiden NRL grand final after revelations about the state government’s lockdown plans.
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Queensland’s historic NRL grand final at Suncorp Stadium is all systems go.
News Corp can reveal the South Sydney-Penrith decider will go ahead as planned on Sunday night, ending three days of uncertainty over whether Queensland’s Covid scare would torpedo Suncorp’s maiden NRL grand final.
The revelation will come as an enormous relief to thousands of Queensland rugby league fans, government officials and NRL authorities, who feared the grand final would be postponed and relocated to Townsville.
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Zero new cases on Sunday cleared the path for 39,000 fans to attend the Penrith-Souths grand final for a Suncorp spectacular.
The NSW and Western Australian governments had made overtures to the ARL Commission expressing interest in hosting the grand final in the event a Covid outbreak forced the NRL to lock the gates at Suncorp.
But the Queensland government has avoided a major infection spike in the past 48 hours, ensuring the Sunshine State’s Covid rates are no threat to the inaugural Suncorp decider.
Queensland health authorities will provide a formal Covid update on Sunday morning but the NRL is in the clear for a 6.30pm (local) grand-final kick-off between Souths and Penrith with a 75 per cent capacity at Suncorp.
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ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys says he has no reason to fear the NRL grand final being relocated or postponed ahead of the Queensland government’s formal health update on Sunday morning.
“It’s 100 miles an hour, full-steam ahead and all systems go for a Suncorp Stadium grand final,” V’landys said.
“I’m confident there won’t be a lockdown because there is no indication at this stage.
“A lot depends on the Covid figures (on Sunday) but there’s no change in our eyes.
“Only a lockdown would force us to act quickly but as it stands there isn’t a problem.”
The NSW government has 25-year hosting rights to the NRL grand final, but agreed to a one-off decider at Suncorp following the Covid crisis that has sent Sydneysiders into full lockdown.
Under fresh contractual terms struck with the Queensland government, which paid an estimated $4.6 million for the event, the 2021 NRL grand final is to be held at Suncorp, with Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium a Plan B option.
A snap lockdown in Brisbane would have seen the Souths-Penrith title clash slated for Townsville on Sunday, October 10.
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“If there was a snap lockdown on Sunday, then we would have to make a quick decision because we don’t want to be playing a grand final in an empty stadium at Suncorp,” V’landys said.
“In that case, everything is on the table, including postponing the grand final and possibly playing it in Townsville.
“But I would love nothing more than to see a historic grand final in front of 39,000 fans at Suncorp on Sunday night.
“We owe it to the Queensland government and the Queensland people for their wonderful support.
“The premier has been an absolute warrior to keep the NRL season alive.”
On Saturday, Queensland recorded two new local Covid cases and two overseas-acquired cases detected in hotel quarantine - but, critically, no community transmissions.
The two new cases were children of the man announced as a confirmed Covid case on Friday who had been on the Gold Coast for four days.
Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said a large crowd at the NRL grand final did concern her but masks were helping and were critical.
Souths assistant coach Jason Demetriou said Rabbitohs players at their team hotel on the Gold Coast were bracing for a Suncorp showdown.
“We anxiously wait for the morning’s press conferences at 10am, that’s for sure,” he said.
“We were pretty pleased to hear the results (on Saturday morning) and now it’s about getting focused on the game.
“The cases have dropped down and we’re looking forward to having 39,000 people at the ground.
“It sounds like it’s going to be a great atmosphere and we’re looking forward to it.”
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said Queensland’s Covid scare has not affected his Panthers stars.
“I haven’t noticed anything from our boys, they’ve just been their usual selves,” he said.
“They just bobble around and turn up where they need to.
“It’s just been that sort of season. Anything can happen at any time.
“We had a game earlier in the year where we were all dressed, ready to go and ended up staying at our resort and playing the next day.
“It’s been no different this week, but the guys are fine.”
How the NRL GF venue war played out
The NRL grand final is staying in Queensland with the ARL Commission set to reject audacious bids from NSW and Western Australia to keep rugby league’s decider in the Sunshine State.
News Corp can reveal a fresh Covid scare will not stop Queensland retaining the grand final with the decider between Souths and Penrith on track to go ahead on Sunday night at Suncorp Stadium
The likelihood of which was boosted by the news that Queensland recorded just two locally acquired Covid cases on Friday - both of which were family contacts of a known case.
Should a snap lockdown be called over the weekend by Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, the NRL will delay the grand final by a week with a view to staging a historic Townsville decider on Sunday, October 10.
Under contractual terms, Townsville’s $290 million Queensland Country Bank Stadium is the Plan B contingency for the ARL Commission should the doors be locked at Suncorp.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has every intention of honouring a contractual commitment to ensure the 2021 NRL grand final stays on Queensland soil.
But that hasn’t stopped the WA government registering their interest in pulling off a Suncorp heist.
News Corp understands West Australian government officials made overtures to the ARL Commission on Friday in an eleventh-hour attempt to snatch the NRL’s maiden grand final at the home of Queensland rugby league.
Perth’s $1 billion Optus Stadium hosted the AFL grand final between Melbourne and the Bulldogs last weekend and WA bosses are keen to bring rugby league’s gala event to the wild west.
But Western Australia faces an uphill battle to clinch the NRL grand final, with well-placed sources saying rugby league’s biggest game of the season will not leave Queensland.
The Queensland government has done the heavy lifting keeping rugby league alive amid the Covid crisis this season which forced their NSW counterparts to hand over NRL grand final hosting rights for a one-off event at Suncorp.
Some fresh Covid cases in Brisbane on Thursday prompted Suncorp Stadium to reduce their grand-final capacity to 75 per cent, or 39,000 fans.
Fears of a full-scale lockdown in Brisbane opened the door for the NSW government to make inquiries about reclaiming the NRL decider — and West Australian powerbrokers followed suit with a cash advance to the ARL Commission.
Optus Stadium has experienced hosting marquee league events after 59,721 fans flocked to State of Origin’s debut on Perth soil in 2019.
Optus is hosting the West Australian Football League grand final between South Fremantle and Subiaco on Sunday. That means the prospect of a historic NRL grand final in Perth would have to be postponed by a week until Sunday, October 10.
But despite WA’s genuine interest, Queensland government officials remain in dialogue with NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and are working towards a Suncorp decider on Sunday night.
The grand-final dilemma is having little effect on the Rabbitohs and Panthers, with Penrith coach Ivan Cleary saying every club had to deal with Covid concerns throughout the entire season.
“It’s just been similar to many of the other weeks we’ve had,” Cleary said.
“It’s just been one of those seasons I guess. Early in the piece, we had a game called off and we had to wait until the next day.
“We haven’t really spoken about it at all really. Whatever happens, we have to roll with it. It’s just the way it is. I think every team in the game has handled it really well.”
Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett said the players will play wherever, whenever.
“Everything has its own challenges but I’m sure players are ready to play,” Bennett said.
“They’ll play tomorrow, next week, week after, they’ll play. We can’t control it.
“There’s no conversation about it, we’re not talking about it.
“In the history of the game, it’s always played in Sydney and personally I’d prefer the history of the game. It wasn’t possible, so we’re here and we’ll make the most of it.”
The Rabbitohs have a history of dealing with games being postponed at the last minute because of Covid.
The South Sydney squad were on board a flight to Rockhampton on a Saturday afternoon, only to be turned around on the tarmac because of the Brisbane lockdown on July 30.
They were then forced to play the following day in an empty Suncorp Stadium, which they were able to defeat the Dragons 50-14.
“We showed (we can handle a Covid disruptions) when we went to Rockhampton,” Rabbitohs playmaker Cody Walker said. “We were on the plane, prepped and ready to go and by the time we landed, they postponed the game.
“We just had to adapt to what was happening. It was no one’s fault and no control over it so we just had to adapt and get back on the plane. Whatever happens, happens.”
Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary admitted he wasn’t even entertaining the notion of a postponed game.
“We just prepare like it’s going to happen,” Cleary said. “It’s not in my mind that we’re not going to play. We can only control what we can control.”
V’landys remains hopeful the Queensland people will celebrate a historic grand final at Suncorp.
“All options are on the table, but at this stage our priority is to keep the grand final at Suncorp with a 75 per cent capacity,” he said.
“Even with a 50 per cent capacity, we would have a crowd of at least 25,000 at Suncorp.
“It all depends on the infection rates but the Queensland government have done a wonderful job throughout the season.”
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