The NRL has pleaded with fans to take public transport to a footy finals double-header which has prompted officials to delay kick-off to avoid an overlap with a neighbouring AFL blockbuster featuring the Swans.
More than 80,000 fans are expected to swarm the Moore Park precinct for the Sharks-Rabbitohs showdown at Allianz Stadium and Sydney’s AFL grand final qualifier against Collingwood at the SCG.
It’s expected be the largest combined crowd at the two venues on the one night in recent history, eclipsing the A-League derby between Sydney FC and the Wanderers which was played on the same night as the Sixers-Thunder Big Bash clash in 2018.
The NRL has shifted its start time back to 8pm, which is expected to be 15 minutes after the Swans-Collingwood showdown finishes at the SCG.
It’s likely to see a capacity crowd of some 45,000 AFL fans spill onto Driver Avenue as the last of the NRL arrivals head into the new $828 million Allianz Stadium, which was officially opened a fortnight ago.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said his organisation was urging rugby league fans to use public transport options such as light rail and buses, which will be free with each match ticket.
Rabbitohs fans at Allianz Stadium during their elimination final against the Roosters.Credit:Getty
“We’re also putting on 20 buses to come from the Shire and we want fans to have a great time,” Abdo said. “This is a good opportunity to take public transport.
“We’re working hand in hand with Venues NSW to ensure it’s as smooth as possible when they arrive at this fantastic facility and precinct, and we think this is a great opportunity for fans to get here early and soak up the atmosphere in and around the stadium, and then inside the stadium.”
Abdo said the NRL would explore the prospect of Sporting Club of Sydney members being able to return tickets to the Sharks-Rabbitohs match if they didn’t want to attend. They could then be re-sold to members or fans from the two Sydney teams.
“It’s very simple for us, we want the most amount of fans we can inside the stadium,” Abdo said. “We’ll try to get as many tickets on sale to fans of our teams and the general public, and if that’s an option we’re obviously going to look at it.”
The NRL had no hesitation in scheduling the second of its semi-finals at Allianz Stadium, and would have done so even if the Sharks had been drawn to play the Roosters, currently the only permanent NRL tenant at Moore Park.
Cronulla officials had requested they play the match away from the city if it was against the Roosters, but the tricolours were beaten by arch rivals South Sydney in a spiteful elimination final which featured a record seven sin-bins.
The NRL’s stadia policy has been firmly in the spotlight after they allowed minor premiers Penrith and Cronulla to play qualifying finals at their suburban grounds, which forced tens of thousands of fans to miss out on a ticket to the western Sydney derby between the Panthers and Eels.
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