All Finals at SFS/ANZ?

[shane2801]

Is it true all finals will be played at either of the above grounds only? If so, we are a chance of upsetting 1st,2nd, 3rd or 4th. Brings a little hope.

Personally I think a final 8 is too much and they should revert back to five. Home grounds during finals are more of a joke.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I agree.

SFS should be the ground for all finals with the exception of the two preliminary finals and grand final which should be held at ANZ.

 

[Gary_Bakerloo]

Yes. The suburban ground argument in finals is now dead and buried. All Sydney teams will have the option of Homebush or the SFS.

Gold Coast and Brisbane play at Suncorp. Melbourne plays in Melbourne.

Not sure of the treatment of Canberra and North Queensland, but I think they would play at Bruce and Dairy Farmers.

 

[innsaneink]

Just another unfair aspect of this wonderful comp

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

What's unfair is the fans who cannot attend finals games because short sightedness of clubs to choose a purported home ground advantage over filling a larger stadium.

Clubs make money and more fans get to see the games. It's good to see that the NRL are forcing clubs to be financially responsible and maximising revenue for the game.
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[Marshall_magic]

I think home finals for
St George, Wests, Easts, Manly and Cronulla-SFS
Parra, Penrith, Doggies and Souffs-ANZ
Brisbane and Gold Coast-Suncorp
NZ-Mt Smart
Canberra-Canberra
Newcastle-Ausgrid
Nth Qld-DFS???? Maybe Suncorp, not 100% sure
Melbourne-Etihad/Aami, will probably depend on what AFL is on that day and what's available

Honestly I like it, big games deserve big grounds and big crowds. Seeing finals played in front of crowds of 17k is pretty poor in my opinion. If you can't win at a big ground you don't deserve to be in the finals.

 

[shane2801]

Apart from the Qld grounds I believe all sides south of the Qld border should play in Sydney during finals.

 

[shane2801]

Just another unfair aspect of this wonderful comp

Are you serious? You would prefer Wests to play a home semi at that prehistoric asbestos ridden disgrace Leichhardt? The sooner the joint gets bulldozed the better. Even with the renovations Campbelltown is only slightly better. Both grounds are hardly a fortress anymore. We should play all games at ANZ.

 

[steve-o]

What's unfair is the fans who cannot attend finals games because short sightedness of clubs to choose a purported home ground advantage over filling a larger stadium.

Clubs make money and more fans get to see the games. It's good to see that the NRL are forcing clubs to be financially responsible and maximising revenue for the game.
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[TIGERDAVIS]

but remember when our semi v the Roosters last year was at SFS and everyone was angry at the fact that it wasnt Leichhardt? where the home final is played should be up to the club. why would you give your opponent an advantage?

 

[stryker]

I'm glad the decision was made to play that game at SFS tigerdavis. It was an amazing atmosphere that helped produce one of the greatest games ever.

Leichhardt and Cambpelltown were aweful alternatives in comparrison.

 

[cunno]

Glad the finals series is being played at the major stadiums, better for fans, good grounds for the players. Agree with Stryker the atmosphere at the SFS last year was great and the ground wasn't the reason we lost IMO, it was poor refereeing decisions- but I won't aim to open that debate up again.

 

[TIGERDAVIS]

I didn't say that was the reason we lost. I remember last year that a lot of people ( you may not have been one of them ) were angry/frustrated/confused that the game was not played at Leichhardt. All I said that why would you give your opponent an advantage of having the game played at a mutual ground. I understand that it could have been for money or to get more fans but I reckon that home grounds have a massive advantage.
For example, if the semi was to be played between us and Dragons, of course us Tigers fans would rather the game to be at the SFS or anywhere other than the Dragons actual home ground. But if it was the other way around, that it was our home game then of course I know I would want to have it at Leichhardt, for the atmosphere and also for the Tigers fans there to lift the boys, I don't know what you want but Thats what I would want and my opinion and I'm sure other people would want the same thing.
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[innsaneink]

Just another unfair aspect of this wonderful comp

Are you serious? **You would prefer Wests to play a home semi at that prehistoric asbestos ridden disgrace Leichhardt? The sooner the joint gets bulldozed the better. Even with the renovations Campbelltown is only slightly better.** Both grounds are hardly a fortress anymore. We should play all games at ANZ.

Did I say that???

Please show me where I did?

You should not assume mate, just makes an ass out of u and you only

What is unfair is some teams do get to play at their real home ground, this top 4 concept was after all initially set up as a _home semi final_.
Many aspects in our game are unfair, this is one.

 

[innsaneink]

but remember when our semi v the Roosters last year was at SFS and everyone was angry at the fact that it wasnt Leichhardt? where the home final is played should be up to the club. why would you give your opponent an advantage?

And the wheel turns…..

this year if we sneak 8th or 7th we may play manly or saints at the SFS at THEIR home semi....**unfair** for them but lucky for us.

 

[shane2801]

Just another unfair aspect of this wonderful comp

Are you serious? **You would prefer Wests to play a home semi at that prehistoric asbestos ridden disgrace Leichhardt? The sooner the joint gets bulldozed the better. Even with the renovations Campbelltown is only slightly better.** Both grounds are hardly a fortress anymore. We should play all games at ANZ.

Did I say that???

Please show me where I did?

You should not assume mate, just makes an ass out of u and you only

What is unfair is some teams do get to play at their real home ground, this top 4 concept was after all initially set up as a _home semi final_.
Many aspects in our game are unfair, this is one.

Wests don't have a ground advantage anymore. People like to believe we have. I think the way League is played and the more it becomes about $$$ I believe most teams will lose that home ground advantage. HG advantage is dissapearing at the same rate as tribalism.

 

[Gary_Bakerloo]

I think it sends the right message to clubs. It is time to start moving forward and aim for average crowds to be above 20,000 for every club. Unless you have a home ground that can cater for over 25,000 fans plus sufficient corporate facilities, a finals match should not be played at the venue.

These romantic thoughts of playing high quality finals matches at suburban grounds such is Kogarah, Leichhardt, Campbelltown, Penrith, Shark Park etc is just nonsense. If your team makes the finals, you should have a sufficiently sized fan base to attract more than 20,000 fans.

The NRL is effectively saying to clubs that if you want to play at your home ground, take the steps like Newcastle and Wollongong. After redevelopment, these two grounds will have capacity of 35,000 and 23,000 respectively. The suburban grounds will be redundant in the next 10 years unless they are redeveloped and capacity increased.

 

[2041]

Just another unfair aspect of this wonderful comp

I don't often agree with you but on this point I do. How happy would you be as a Titans fan if you were minor premiers and the Broncos came 8th to be 'rewarded' with what's basically a final at your opponent's home ground? It's actually not impossible that this season Manly could be minor premiers and the Roosters 8th - same outcome.

I hate the argument that by playing at bigger grounds more fans can get in. Honestly in this country you don't know how lucky you are - you can pretty much get into any game, any time. If the Tigers played a home final at Leichhardt and you miss out on a ticket, well, you snooze you lose.

How about tickets being sold first to fans who can show at least four home game stubs from the regular season? If you didn't turn up to the Newcastle game on Monday night then why should you have a divine right to rock up to the finals?

Honestly I think this is the problem with Sydney sport: it's so damn easy to get into everything that fans get used to only showing up when the weather's nice and they think they're going to win, or the weather's nice and it's a big game.

 

[Gary_Bakerloo]

I hate the argument that by playing at bigger grounds more fans can get in. Honestly in this country you don't know how lucky you are - you can pretty much get into any game, any time. If the Tigers played a home final at Leichhardt and you miss out on a ticket, well, you snooze you lose.

So on last season's match against the Roosters, we shut out 18,000 paying customers? In that instance, Wests Tigers lose as well as those fans who "snoozed"

The game needs to move forward. If you want to play at your home ground, increase capacity. This was part of the criteria in 1999, competitive pressures are now moving to ensure all clubs play in the best stadiums.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Couldn't agree more Gary. Clubs plead poor and constantly whinge about financial pressures and yet when presented with the opportunity to fill out a 45K seat stadium, they baulk and opt for the home ground advantage.

Ask Canberra and NQ where their home ground advantages have been when they've played us over the 5 years… What good has this supposed "advantage" done for us when we have been getting repeatedly belted by Penriff up until Campbelltown last year? It's a myth and a joke. This archaic attitude is to the detriment of the game and I can't believe clubs are turning up their noses at a financial windfall and then crying poor expecting either the NRL to bail them out, or pushing back on their supporter base to sign up for memberships when they have shut them out of games.