TV cameras would need to be set up, platforms built etc etc - more staff than would be needed for a game at an existing venue where those facilities are already catered for and can remain in place unimpeded. The whole concept of only playing at 3 venues in NSW was to limit the need for multiple pack up and pack downs.
The way I see it..
There is (was) an opportunity for a foundation club of the NRL to play a game at its “spiritual home” for the first time in over 30 years, which would also be the first time a game has been played in their heartland over the same time (SFS/SCG arguably in the Eastern Suburbs).
No other club in the league does not play games in their area apart from South Sydney. This again was the one opportunity to make it happen.
I get cost savings are a big factor in the current climate. The only extra cost of significance I see would be securing the ground from outside interference.
The wages of TV broadcast staff would remain the same, I don’t think you need extra staff here. You don’t need anything apart from 2/3 cameras in the grandstand and one on the ground at each corner. All others are superfluous / “nice to haves” (such as high in the sky behind the goal line), wouldn’t be necessary.
Playing the Gold Coast last week was the perfect opportunity to do this. An otherwise bog-standard NRL game played in parramatta, could have been a historic return to Redfern garnering enormous interest from not just Rabbits fans but the entire rugby league public. Absolutely no doubt viewership would been far, far greater if played at Redfern - which would have given an opportunity to gain extra income from advertising (on/off ground) which would help offset (maybe even supersede) the extra set up costs. They could have arranged to play there on FTA also..
I absolutely think this would have been a promotional dream and historic moment for a foundation club which would be looked at in years to come as a proud / pinnacle moment for the sport in such tough times.
Vlandys is the kind of guy who finds a way to make things happen, not find ways to the “too hard basket”. I could understand if it physically or legally not possible so as to comply with any government conditions to allow league being played. But otherwise I see no reason it could’ve have gone ahead if someone like him was driving it.
But alas it’s not to be. Im not a bunnies supporter but I support the NRL as a whole and personally would have loved watching a game such as that. (Not hard given what I’ve seen my own team dish out this year I suppose).
Anyway - let’s carry on.
