Should NRL start selling grand final rights to highest bidder?

Surprise, surprise, the 2022 NRL Grand Final will be played at Sydney’s 82,000-seat Accor Stadium on October 2.

Despite all the rhetoric served up to rugby league fans by the NRL’s head honcho, Peter V’landys, that it might be played at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, it was never going to be played anywhere else but in Sydney.

The NSW Government had brokered an $800 million deal to upgrade a number of suburban rugby league grounds and also do a total refurbishment of Accor Stadium in return for the NRL locking the grand final into Sydney until 2042.

In a desperate bid to get the multimillion-dollar upgrade deal over the line, ARL Commission chairman V’landys played hard ball with NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, threatening to move this year’s GF to Brisbane.

It was never going to happen.

But what has happened as a result of the NSW Government reneging is that V’landys has put Mr Perrottet on notice that, unless the deal is honoured, he will go ahead with plans to introduce a “Super Bowl” scenario for future grand finals by offering the event for hire to the highest bidder.

“I should point out the NSW Government has succeeded this year, but this is only for one year and negotiations will recommence for future grand finals,” warned V’landys.

“This opens the door for a Super Bowl-style concept and whoever can give us the best deal.”

The ARL may own the game, but it should never lose sight of the fact that the rugby league public are its biggest stakeholders and their views should always be considered in such big decisions.

Playing an NRL grand final in Melbourne, or Adelaide, or even Perth would be a sell out, but it would also be a sell out to die-hard rugby league fans who support the game all year round.

Given the expansion of the game in the past 30-odd years, Sydney can no longer legitimately claim to be the “home” of rugby league, even though it will always be the spiritual home.

When State of Origin came into play in 1980, all that changed.

So, here is an idea for the NRL to consider that may excite fans and generate plenty of interest as well.

Four months should be enough lead-in time to organise and promote a grand final, and enough time for fans to organise travel plans and accommodation wherever it is played.

So how about the winners of the annual State of Origin series get rewarded by hosting that year’s grand final?

How much more excitement would that generate for a series decider, knowing the victor would get to put on the grand final in their state?

It would keep the showpiece game in either NSW or Queensland and reward those fans who love and support the game so passionately.

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