NZ can’t stage NRL grand final

OPINION: Staging a NRL grand final in New Zealand sounds like a great idea - but it would go down like a flagon of prune juice with Australian rugby league fans.

The NRL are casting around for a potential new grand final venue with ANZ Stadium out of action due to major reconstruction. NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg is not ruling out shifting the big show to New Zealand after the success of the NRL Nines series at Eden Park. Hosting the NRL grand final would represent the biggest rugby league occasion in New Zealand since the ill-fated World Cup final between the Kiwis and Australia at Eden Park in 1988. It would give the game in New Zealand a major shot in the arm - especially if the Warriors were one of the finalists. Eden Park could potentially hold 60,000 fans - more than most alternate Australian venues. The NRL has to think long and hard, however, before it commits to shifting its showpiece across the Tasman. Promoters cannot afford to wait for the finalists to be decided before fixing where the NRL grand final should be played. Imagine the logistical nightmares if a WarriorsBroncos final was staged in Auckland at a week’s notice? Bear in mind there is more to grand final day than the Provan-Summons first grade decider. The under-20 and reserve grade gold medal games have traditionally been an important part of the occasion too. If the NRL grand final was shifted to New Zealand, would the curtain-raiser fixtures follow, or would they be split off and played at a smaller Australian venue? The most important people to consider in this process are the grand final clubs’ fans.

GETTY IMAGES Rabbitohs pose with the trophy in front of the crowd after victory during the 2014 NRL Grand Final match at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.