Up to 70,000 people are expected to cram the Moore Park precinct for a footy finals feast on Friday night, with the NRL set to schedule the Sharks’ showdown with the Cowboys at Allianz Stadium – just metres away from the Swans’ grand final qualifier at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Sharks, who will face a sudden-death elimination final, have had their plea for the match to be played at PointsBet Stadium denied after talks with the NRL on Sunday.
Cronulla chief executive Dino Mezzatesta and chairman Steve Mace had asked the NRL if the match could be played at their home ground of PointsBet Stadium – which holds just 14,000 as the adjacent leagues club undergoes a renovation – given they are playing North Queensland, who are unlikely to bring a large travelling support.
But the NRL has opted to schedule the game at Allianz Stadium on the same night the Swans are due to play in front of a sold-out SCG, rather than shifting it further west to Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium.
The decision was confirmed on Sunday night, meaning Allianz Stadium will host two finals matches in 24 hours with the Roosters to take on the Sea Eagles on Saturday night.
“We have to make it as easy for our members and fans to get to Allianz and turn out in force for what is a huge game,” Mezzatesta said. “I know there will be a huge crowd for the Swans, but we won’t be drowned out by the AFL.”
The Sharks want to play their semi-final at home after their big loss to the Storm.Credit: Getty
Earlier on Sunday, Mezzatesta described the idea of Cronulla fans being forced to travel to Parramatta as unpalatable as they fight to keep their season alive. He said it was a “terrible idea” given the difficulty travelling from the Shire to Parramatta in peak hour traffic on a Friday.
The NRL will be hoping to nudge 20,000 for the Sharks-Cowboys crowd and were working on options for to make public transport access easier.
The winner of the Cronulla-North Queensland showdown will book a spot in the grand final qualifier against the Panthers.
Asked whether the Sharks final should be played at Allianz Stadium, Brad Fittler told The Footy Show: “Absolutely.
“You’re capping your audience at Cronulla. You’ve got to back yourself. You’ve got to give more than 13,000 Sharks fans the opportunity to watch their team in a semi-final. Whether you get them there or not [is another matter], but you’ve got to give them the opportunity.”
The Sharks are still seeking their first finals win since 2018 and were overpowered by a ruthless Melbourne side in their qualifying final at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold said there would be no excuses for his side against the Roosters despite having two fewer days to prepare for the do-or-die showdown after a thrilling comeback win over the Bulldogs on Sunday.
“They probably deserve that because they finished higher up the table than us,” Seibold said. We have no complaints.”
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