NRL fans have been slugged with massive ticket price increases for this year's grand final with some seats selling for more than double what they cost last year.
In a blow to the game in its heartland, the NRL has announced the biggest ticket price hike in history for the premiership decider, 138 per cent in some areas of ANZ Stadium.
It will cost $1380 for a family of four to sit in the best seats. Last year it was only $580.
Even the prices for cheaper family tickets behind the goal posts have increased from $200 last year to $425.
Individual seats in the best viewing areas have skyrocketed from $200 last year to $345.
The same seats at last night's Manchester United blockbuster were just $189.
The NRL tickets are almost double the price of what Australia's most elite football code, the Australian Rugby Union, is charging for Bledisloe Cup tickets at ANZ Stadium.
"It used to be a day out for families, now it's a day for those who can afford it," said one club official. "This should have been done gradually, not in one massive whack."
Asked for a comment, an NRL spokesman said $1.5 million-a-year chief executive and former banking boss Dave Smith was unavailable to comment. It was left to commercial boss Paul Kind to explain the price rise.
"The investment we have made in grand final week and the day itself with the stadium precinct activity has helped make grand final week an unrivalled experience and the demand for premium seats in particular is overwhelming," Mr Kind said.
The game's most experienced club CEO, South Sydney's Shane Richardson, said the price rises could have been more gradual.
His Rabbitohs lead the competition and his fans are likely to be there on grand final day.
"We have to make sure we don't alienate our fans but it's our premium event," he said.
"We've been under-selling our product for too long. It is a steep hike but the TV deal gave us an idea what our game was really worth."
Souths have always been mindful of looking after their battling fans. They even have hardship membership packages that allow fans to pay for season tickets in instalments. No such offer is available for the grand final.
"We value the grand final as one of the best events. We have benchmarked our prices against other major events and not only are our prices comparable, in many cases they remain cheaper," Mr Kind said.
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