The NRL and the Cronulla Sharks are planning to put together two live sites in a Matildas-style fashion to accommodate fans for the elimination finals between the Sharks and Roosters.
With two Sydney teams going head-to-head against one another in a do-or-die finals match, the Sharks' venue has locked out thousands of potential fans from attending due to Pointsbet Stadium hitting maximum capacity. This has caused the NRL, Sharks officials and the Sutherland Shire Council to create two live sites to accommodate the fans who missed out on tickets to attend, per theย Herald.
One of the live sites is set to be at the beachside Don Lucas Reserve (3km away from Pointsbet Stadium), while the second live stadium will be created down the road at Dunningham Park.
โWe've had discussions with the NRL and Sutherland Shire Council about having fans at the two sites and it's a great alternative for those who can't get a ticket to the match,โ Sharks chief executive Dino Mezzatesta said viaย The Sydney Morning Herald.
The creation of the live sites for the game comes after the success of the Matildas during the World Cup, where thousands flocked to live sites after failing to get tickets to watch it in person at the stadium.
In what was a huge success, the NRL is hoping to capitalise on this and give more fans the ability to experience the game with other fans around them and the atmosphere of a finals game.
While many would have thought that the game would have been moved to Allianz Stadium to accommodate more fans, it would have erased the home-ground advantage for the Sharks- something that every team deserves to have if they finish in a specific place on the ladder after the regular home and away season.
Roosters captain James Tedesco was asked whether he believes that the Sharks should play at a bigger stadium like Allianz Stadium or CommBank Stadium instead of their home field known to fans as 'Shark Park.'
โI don't think so. The Sharks should get a home final, and they should be rewarded," he said via the publication.
"It's going to feel like 50,000 anyway and I don't think it's going to make a big difference. They deserve it."
