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THE NRL has dangled the carrot of a cash payment to Wests Tigers to stage a home final at the SFS rather than their suburban spiritual homes at Leichhardt and Campbelltown.
The Tigers can secure a home final with a win over Melbourne at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday, after which the club will have to decide whether to potentially forgo a home advantage in favour of a bigger crowd, and bigger gate receipts.
The issue would be clouded even further because the Tigers might be forced to play Sydney Roosters on the first weekend of the play-offs. If they play at the SFS, they would hand some of their advantage back to the Roosters, who play out of the 45,500-seat stadium.
But the Tigers might be coaxed into playing at the SFS, with the NRL's chief operating officer Graham Annesley admitting yesterday that officials would likely look favourably on any request for compensation.
Last year, the NRL offered St George Illawarra $250,000 to switch their match against Parramatta, in week one of the finals, to the SFS, rather than playing at the smaller but more intimidating WIN Jubilee Oval. The Dragons rejected the offer.
The Tigers, currently in third place, are keeping their options open. Chief executive Stephen Humphreys did not wish to comment on where a first final would be played, should they claim one, although he was set to brief the club's board last night.
Even though it is up to the clubs as to where they play their home finals, the NRL would certainly prefer that a final against the Roosters be played at the Sydney Football Stadium. There are also concerns about the corporate facilities at Leichhardt Oval.
Asked whether the Tigers would be afforded the same offer that the Dragons were last year, Annesley said: ''There's no current money offer sitting on the table for anyone, but if the club came to us and said we'd be prepared to discuss playing at a bigger venue, of course we'd discuss that with them, and possibly come to a suitable arrangement.
''There's no off-the-shelf package that they can say, 'come and take X amount of dollars'. It would have to be negotiated.''
Of course, those circumstances would probably depend on the Tigers playing against a fellow Sydney club. Should they be pitted against the Warriors, for instance, the NRL might be happy for them to hold the game at one of the club's suburban venues.
Tigers coach Tim Sheens would not speculate on his preference yesterday, saying: ''We haven't got there yet, so I don't talk about that.''
Ironically the Dragons have not ruled out playing their home final - which they have been assured of - at the Sydney Football Stadium as well.
Doust said this week a decision had not been made yet, although it is likely he will again stick to his guns and opt for Kogarah. Wollongong's WIN Stadium is already out of play due to a $29 million redevelopment.
The various scenarios also throw up an interesting possibility, although an unlikely one. If the Dragons finish second, the Tigers third, and they both opt for the SFS, the NRL would have two finals on a Saturday evening at the same ground. A finals double-header, perchance?
[Source](http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-cash-might-put-wests-tigers-leichhardt-affection-to-the-test-20100826-13uag.html)
The Tigers can secure a home final with a win over Melbourne at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday, after which the club will have to decide whether to potentially forgo a home advantage in favour of a bigger crowd, and bigger gate receipts.
The issue would be clouded even further because the Tigers might be forced to play Sydney Roosters on the first weekend of the play-offs. If they play at the SFS, they would hand some of their advantage back to the Roosters, who play out of the 45,500-seat stadium.
But the Tigers might be coaxed into playing at the SFS, with the NRL's chief operating officer Graham Annesley admitting yesterday that officials would likely look favourably on any request for compensation.
Last year, the NRL offered St George Illawarra $250,000 to switch their match against Parramatta, in week one of the finals, to the SFS, rather than playing at the smaller but more intimidating WIN Jubilee Oval. The Dragons rejected the offer.
The Tigers, currently in third place, are keeping their options open. Chief executive Stephen Humphreys did not wish to comment on where a first final would be played, should they claim one, although he was set to brief the club's board last night.
Even though it is up to the clubs as to where they play their home finals, the NRL would certainly prefer that a final against the Roosters be played at the Sydney Football Stadium. There are also concerns about the corporate facilities at Leichhardt Oval.
Asked whether the Tigers would be afforded the same offer that the Dragons were last year, Annesley said: ''There's no current money offer sitting on the table for anyone, but if the club came to us and said we'd be prepared to discuss playing at a bigger venue, of course we'd discuss that with them, and possibly come to a suitable arrangement.
''There's no off-the-shelf package that they can say, 'come and take X amount of dollars'. It would have to be negotiated.''
Of course, those circumstances would probably depend on the Tigers playing against a fellow Sydney club. Should they be pitted against the Warriors, for instance, the NRL might be happy for them to hold the game at one of the club's suburban venues.
Tigers coach Tim Sheens would not speculate on his preference yesterday, saying: ''We haven't got there yet, so I don't talk about that.''
Ironically the Dragons have not ruled out playing their home final - which they have been assured of - at the Sydney Football Stadium as well.
Doust said this week a decision had not been made yet, although it is likely he will again stick to his guns and opt for Kogarah. Wollongong's WIN Stadium is already out of play due to a $29 million redevelopment.
The various scenarios also throw up an interesting possibility, although an unlikely one. If the Dragons finish second, the Tigers third, and they both opt for the SFS, the NRL would have two finals on a Saturday evening at the same ground. A finals double-header, perchance?
[Source](http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-cash-might-put-wests-tigers-leichhardt-affection-to-the-test-20100826-13uag.html)
