If the NRL and AFL were boxers, this weekend ought to have been one of the greatest pound-for-pound matchups in a long time.
Instead, CEOs Andrew Abdo and Andrew Dillon will only continue to share the same name and job title, and not the ring, when their two codes instead host their finals games in Homebush on different days, instead of head-to-head on the same day as originally scheduled.
The NRL this week made late changes to the first round of finals when they shifted the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles match at Accor Stadium to Sunday, moving Newcastle and North Queensland forward.
The kennel’s highly anticipated first finals appearance since 2016 is delayed just one more day to avoid the neighbouring AFL semi-final on Saturday between GWS and Brisbane only 400m away.
But while the NRL fears “deterring fans from attending” a more packed precinct, the organisation should’ve backed fans—almost four million of whom have come through the gates in 2024, a new season record—to show up on the sport’s most important weekend so far this year.
More than this, the expected 50,000 rugby league faithful and 25,000 Aussie rules fanatics together traversing the Sydney streets are a missed opportunity to turn a logistical nightmare into a great display of the city’s diverse sporting culture.
Shouldn’t Sydney be frothing at the idea? It’s certainly no stranger to the premise.
Only earlier this year the city hosted Taylor Swift for four of the largest concerts in recent memory at Accor stadium, attracting more than 75,000 screaming “swifties” while on two of those nights Blink-182 played to more than 21,000 fans in neighbouring Qudos Bank Arena.
If that wasn’t enough, we also did it with Harry Styles and the Backstreet Boys last year.
If those moments showed anything, it’s that people are willing to make sacrifices for the things they enjoy.
Sure, public transport is never fun on nights like these, but when the atmosphere calls for it, these finer details are trivial.
It’s no coincidence Sydney teams have enjoyed dominating both sports all season in a year where the city’s sporting landscape has simultaneously skyrocketed.
Does the NRL really think the swarm that has engulfed Belmore and regular season games these last few weeks won’t turn up to their teams’ most important game in eight years?
Do they feel Manly fans, who’ve sold out eight of their 10 home games this season at nearly 20,000 capacity, aren’t up to seeing their team try to take glory?
Now, at the penultimate time of the year, more than at any other point in the season, rugby league and Aussie rules fans are all in.
Depending on results, organisers may find themselves with deja vu next week when the Swans play their preliminary final in Sydney.
Hopefully Andrew Abdo and Dillon recognise that touching gloves would be a cause for celebration, not a risk to their growing empires.