Manly are in danger of losing their first home final in over a decade due to the discovery of asbestos traces on the famous Brookvale Oval hill.
Just hours after the Sharks booked their passage to the post-season and set up a Battle of the Beaches with their famed rivals, the NRL announced the venue will remain 'TBC' until a safety report on Lottoland is lodged on Monday evening.
Via a media release on Sunday night, the NRL said that testing around Manly's planned centre of excellence construction had revealed isolated traces of asbestos on the northern end of the Lottoland hill.
Bankwest Stadium has been pencilled in as the alternate venue for Saturday's elimination fixture if Lottoland is not up to scratch, with all ticket sales on hold for 24 hours until the scheduling can be confirmed.
"Our number one priority is ensuring the safety of our players and fans. Unfortunately it could not be guaranteed when the schedule was confirmed," NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said.
"We have given the local council and the Sea Eagles a period of grace of 24 hours in order to assess the safety of the venue before we release tickets.
"We have worked with Northern Beaches Council and the Sea Eagles to ensure the club is given the opportunity to host a final, while ensuring the safety of our supporters is paramount."
The discovery of asbestos is just the latest drama around Manly's iconic home ground, which hasn't hosted a finals game since 2007.
Replies
Geez, even Manly will be calling Bankwest their home, along with Wests Tigers and Bulldogs.
Tell me, the ground (if you can call it that) has been standing for years, and they now find asbestos? Might explain the erratic behaviour of Manly fans over the years.