The NSW Government is set to announce an increase in stadium capacities for live sport which will see a huge boost in numbers for the NRL finals.
James Hooper reported on NRL 360 on Wednesday night that an announcement will be made in the next 24-48 hours that the NSW Government will allow stadiums to open at 50 per cent of capacity.
“I think we will see it announced in the next 24-48 hours,” he said.
“The crowds will be at 50 per cent capacity for the finals and particularly for the grand final. So they’ll get 40,000 out at ANZ Stadium.
“[It’s a] massive victory given the tough times that the entire nation has had to go through this season.”
“Such good news,” Lara Pitt added.
“I was only thinking about it a couple of weeks ago, if you’ve got Penrith and Parra in a grand final, one of them or both, I mean those fans have been waiting so long to have the ultimate success so to have packed in so many more of them and to feed off that energy for those teams, if they’re there, but even through the finals series.”
The changes will also have a positive impact on the State of Origin series, with the crowd increase set to factor into the second game which will be held at ANZ Stadium.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian suggested the announcement would be made shortly at a press conference on Wednesday.
“I just want to foreshadow the government will have something to say about that in the next few days,” Berejiklian said on Wednesday.
“They [a ministerial task force which includes treasurer Dominic Perrotte, deputy premier John Barilaro and tourism minister Stuart Ayres] have done some good work given the input from health on what we consider a safe way to host some of these events into the future.
“NSW is holding the line well. We are doing well and we want to keep it that way.
“When it comes to major sporting events we are, through health input and also the great work by police, looking at how we can have some of those key events in a COVID-safe way to support the direction NSW is going.
“But also as a big thank you to the community for working with us to get us where we are today.”
The Melbourne Storm are expected to take their opening week finals clash to Suncorp Stadium in front of a maximum crowd of 25,000 people.
Replies
Yes it is great news; shame they do not lax the rules in areas....weddings / funerals etc. Let alone Vic and Qld.
Don't get me started on our dictator up here
I think Gladys has been far and away the best Premier of any state through this crisis, daylight second.
The power these people have Brett and also the power they give unelected officials. That is the issue for me in any state. Yes we are better here but some of the hypocrisy..........
You guys are not complaining about the Fat Maggot from George Street areyou?
Feeding off the rotting flesh of those she and her parasitic attendants have destroyed.
Follow the money trail people and you will see just how inconsistent these measures really are.
If it is bringing in money then the rules either do not apply, or are so relaxed they almost do not exist.