Tina Turner tribute act at NRL Grand Final widely slammed by fans

The NRL’s decision to go with a tribute act for its pre-game Grand Final entertainment has gone down like a lead balloon with fans.

Entertainment at the NRL grand final. Picture: Nine

The AFL had American rock band KISS, the NRL had Tina Turner … the musical.

Thirty years after she stole the limelight at the 1993 Grand Final, the NRL turned back time with a tribute act to headline the pre-game entertainment.

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But fans watching on couldn’t quite believe what they were witnessing as criticism came in for the league’s decision to have a tribute act as the headline for the pre-game show.

Fans slammed every aspect of the pre-game entertainment from the fake Tina wig to the fact the league couldn’t stump up anything better than a tribute act.

Ruva Ngwenya as Tina Turner during the pre-game show at the NRL grand final. Picture: Nine

Sunday’s performance (pictured) paid tribute to the late Queen of Rock n’ Roll, who herself performed at the grand final in 1993. Picture: Nine

One user wrote: “The AFL had Kiss and the NRL has a Tina Turner tribute band.”

Another added: “That hair (wig?) is absolutely criminal. For a Tina Turner impersonator, they should have done a better job!”

A third wrote: “Is this an NRL grand final or a Tina Turner funeral?”

The AFL had Kiss and the NRL has a Tina Turner tribute band 🫠🫠 #NRLGF

— Charles Haig (@charles_haig01) October 1, 2023

@NRLonNine oh god this Tina Turner performance, it’s like watching someone in a cheap wig singing karaoke 🤦🏼‍♂️ why do the NRL and AFL always get it so wrong.

— Simon Wilde (@Wildeturkey) October 1, 2023

Of course not everyone watching on hated the performance with many fans giving high praise and insisting they’d go and watch the musical.

What are we making of the Tina Turner musical??

In our opinion - it’s absolutely smashing our expectations!!

— The League Scene (@LeagueScenePod) October 1, 2023

What a spectacular opening performance from Tina Turner musical. #nrl#nrlgf#BronxNation

— Andrew Choreographer (@MTVDancer) October 1, 2023

I would definitely go watch the Tina Turner musical

— Me af (@delightfulyarn) October 1, 2023

Before the tribute got underway it was Northern Territory rock band King Stingray who took to the stage in a performance that divided fans.

One fan wrote: “What a hatchet job by King Stingray. Woeful. Meatloaf 2.0.”

“How bad are King Stingray, would struggle to fill a local RSL,” one user wrote.

Another infuriated fan wrote: “Surely you can get someone better than King Stingray ffs for a game that costs over $100 a ticket.”

“I’ll take King Stingray over KISS any day,” one wrote.

Another added: “King Stingray, awesome version.”

The band only performed one song before they departed the stage with audio issues also being raised by fans online.

King Stingray performing. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

NRL great Wendell Sailor was particularly scathing of the decision when it was originally announced, saying while he was a fan of Tina Turner, the game had “dropped the ball” by not finding a headline act for Grand Final day.

“I’m disappointed to be honest… look I love Tina Turner, I met her a couple of times, but I think we as the NRL should do better, our fans deserve better,” Sailor told Triple M.

“We could get someone from around the world. The AFL has got KISS and we got a take-off of Tina Turner.

“They need a headline act, they need to go all in, they dropped the ball again.”

Originally published as Tina Turner tribute act at NRL Grand Final widely slammed by fans