NRL avoids clash with AFL as week one finals schedule confirmed
An innocent tweet from Phil Gould has caused massive fan confusion as the NRL locked in its finals schedule, which included shifting a match to avoid a clash with rival code AFL.
The NRL has insisted it isn’t running scared of the AFL despite shifting the scheduling of a finals game this weekend to avoid a direct clash with GWS Giants.
And it was an innocent tweet from Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould which caused massive fan confusion.
An elimination final between Canterbury and Manly was tentatively scheduled to be played at Accor Stadium on Saturday night, kicking off at 7.50pm.
An AFL knock-out final will be played next door at Engie Stadium when GWS Giants confront the Brisbane Lions with first bounce at 7.30pm.
The NRL game is expected to pull 50,000 fans with around 25,000 to attend the AFL.
That would have meant a 75,000 crush for parking and public transport inside Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday night.
NRL management decided on Sunday night to shift the Bulldogs-Sea Eagles game to next Sunday at 4.05pm.
Canterbury fans were left bewildered after Gould revealed the club’s game would be played on Saturday evening.
Bulldogs supporters had started to organise tickets and parking for Saturday.
Gould took to X (formerly Twitter) just before 4pm to post: “Accor Stadium, Saturday night, 7.45pm Kick off. Well done Bulldogs fans. A home semi-final.
“Well deserved for the way you fans have lifted the team this season. Enjoy your return to finals footy.”
All clubs that qualify pressure the NRL to determine the date and time of their finals matches.
The NRL will tell a club informally but cannot set down the schedule until the final game of round 27 was completed.
Insiders claim the NRL wasn’t concerned about the AFL, more worried about the comfort of fans.
There was a fear the games going head-to-head next door to one-another could have deterred fans from attending.
The NRL also thought changing the game would help players contend with the Townsville heat.
North Queensland’s home final against Newcastle was initially set down for Sunday afternoon with temperatures starting to increase in far north Queensland.
That match will now be played in cooler evening conditions on Saturday.
North Queensland play the majority of their NRL games at night.
The drama could have been averted had Manly beaten Cronulla and the elimination final would have been played on Saturday night at Brookvale Oval.
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