It’s been less than 24 hours since the Eels beat the Storm to set up a thrilling first-week finals encounter with Penrith, but ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys has already had to rule out a venue change to accommodate increased capacity for the clash.
As it stands, Penrith’s BlueBet Stadium has a maximum capacity of 22,500 – which will likely mean tens of thousands of potential attendees will be unable to attend as the game sells out.
With belief the game could draw a crowd of up to 70,000, there have been suggestions in the media that the game could be moved to Homebush’s Accor Stadium – but V’landys has quickly tempered that notion before it gathers steam.
“The teams have earned the right to host finals,” V’landys told the Daily Telegraph.
“My focus is on their loyal fans. This is a reward they get for turning up every week.
“Sometimes it’s not about dollars, you’ve got to reward loyalty.
“I understand we could make more money at another venue, but this is how you get long-term memberships and tribal followings.”
Despite the potential for lost revenue, the NRL have already stood firm on the issue after agreeing to let Cronulla host a home final if they secure second spot, which seems highly likely, despite the fact their stadium can only hold 11,000 currently due to surrounding construction.
“Cronulla fans are the same as Penrith’s,” V’landys said.
“They’ve been turning up all year to support the team and they deserve to be playing out of home.”