Crowds will be back at the NRL this weekend as grand final remains up for grabs

Crowds will make their return to the NRL this weekend, strengthening the Queensland government’s claims to host the grand final at Suncorp Stadium

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo says the decision on a grand final venue hinges on crowds. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Crowds are set to return to the NRL on Thursday night and not a moment too soon for the Queensland government as their quest to secure the grand final faces an unlikely new threat from across the Tasman.

Queensland ended their lockdown on Sunday afternoon and the NRL was deep in talks with government officials late on Sunday night as they sought approval to the ease the biosecurity protocols around their players and families, who have had their freedom restricted since heading north.

The easing of protocols comes as the NRL and their clubs prepare to play before spectators again, starting with opening game of round 22 between Melbourne and Canberra.

Games in southeast Queensland will be capped at 50 per cent capacity, while North Queensland will be allowed to head back to Townsville on Saturday afternoon to potentially play before a full house at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

There is a chance that if the current limits remain, the NRL could look to take more games to Townsville. As it stands, the Queensland government is recommending that people avoid regional travel and the NRL is reluctant to push their luck given the existing climate.

The return of crowds will bring with it additional revenue for the game at a time when clubs are preparing a document for the NRL that highlights their financial losses this season due to the pandemic. The Weekend Australian revealed the figure was expected to be somewhere between $25 and $30 million.

The good news is that by flinging the gates open, the NRL will be able to mitigate some of the financial haemorrhaging. How long they can stop the bleeding, who knows.

Recent history has shown that it only takes one outbreak for the gates to be locked again. That scenario continues to play havoc with planning for this year’s grand final, which was scheduled to be hosted at Stadium Australia but has now been linked with every major city on the eastern seaboard as well as New Zealand.

Our Kiwi brethren entered the equation after the success of Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup game between the Wallabies and All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland, where more than 47,000 people were given the green light to attend.

That piqued the interest of the NRL, although it is understood that Auckland is considered the longest of long shots given the clear preference to play the game in Australia – if not in Sydney then in Brisbane.

Auckland is at the end of a very long queue and would be problematic on several levels. The Wallabies flew to New Zealand before the trans-Tasman bubble shut and the grand final teams would need exemptions to get into the country. The cost would be prohibitive and the logistics almost insurmountable.

While it would be a reward for New Zealand rugby league fans given they have been without the Warriors for two seasons, rugby league officialdom also feel a deep sense of gratitude to the Queensland government for the way they have housed the game this year.

There is also a recognition that outside NSW, Queensland is rugby league’s greatest stronghold. If the game’s powerbrokers have their way, the grand final will be played at Suncorp Stadium before a full house should Sydney remain in lockdown.

If not Brisbane, then the MCG. If not the MCG, then potentially Townsville or maybe Perth. Somewhere down the line, sits Auckland. Townsville hosted a State of Origin game earlier this year and the city will firmly enter the equation given they will be at full capacity from this weekend.

Ultimately, for all the deep pockets of the respective governments and Melbourne chair Matt Tripp, who has threatened to use his own hard-earned to bring the title decider to the MCG, Covid will have the final say.

The NRL desperately wants crowds and corporates at the grand final. The ability to have both will dictate where the game is played, not the whims or wishes of any respective premier.

“We will look at all options,” NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said.

“If there is an outbreak and there are no crowds in Queensland and NSW, and the trans-Tasman bubble was open, we would look at (Auckland).

“We can’t make any decisions now. It is a factor of where we are going to be allowed crowds.”