Excuse me but WTF is this bullshit??!?

[LeagueNut]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Any week one or week two home finals should 100% be at Mt Smart. I'll personally volunteer to help put all the temporary seating back in. If it's good enough to host an All Blacks game then it should absolutely be good enough to host an NRL finals match.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Think it is fairly standard practise, I know since around 2009 or 2010 the likes of Manly, Sharks etc haven’t been allowed to use their home ground in the finals, having to use bigger grounds in the city for their games

gives the likes of Cowboys, Broncos etc a decent leg up

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Yeah standard rules around finals. At least we still get to retain home advantage, unlike the Sydney sides who pretty much end up at a neutral venue.
And of course it gives more incentive to boost the permanent capacity of Mt Smart past that 25K number…

 

[Meth]

Wouldn't want us to play at Eden Park. We don't have an amazing record there. It may be superstitious, but I'd rather stick to our home ground. So much talk about making it a fortress.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

It's only an issue because we haven't historically played well at Eden Park. Which is a misleading statistic, given 5 of our 6 games were from 2012-14, when we sucked. In fact, we don't have a winning record at any ground in NZ, Mt Smart (ignoring the new name) apart.

I say who cares. If the capacity for Eden Park is 50,000, that's 25,000 fans or so who wouldn't have otherwise have been able to go. That's 25,000 or so more noise from our fans. That's extra revenue (for the NRL, I know), that's everything. That's more people in bars, the transport system to get to Eden Park is better than Mt Smart, it's everything.

I see very little downside to this.

 

[Blair]

I would've hated for our last home final - and its enduring memory - in 2008 to have been at that union ground!

An extra 25,000? Those numbers are impossible to say no to, particularly because of how little the Warriors have played in Auckland since 2019, but the purist in me just wants to reward the 'Mt Smart Faithful', the fans we all know and love.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Would definitely prefer Mt Smart, but I can walk to Eden Park from home so selfishly I wouldn't mind it

 

[GoSouths]

Of course the NRL want to double their money.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Of course the NRL want to double their money.

I don't think any organisation wants to turn away 25,000 fans from attending a big game, if they can avoid it.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Do you reckon we’d sell out EP? If we got anywhere near capacity then it’s a no brainer. Not so much if it pulls low 30k type numbers, I’d much rather put some extra temporary seats into Mt Smart.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

100% we sell out Eden Park. I have zero doubt in my mind

 

[SpaceMonkey]

100% we sell out Eden Park. I have zero doubt in my mind

No brainer then. That’s 19K over Mt Smart even with extra seats. We’d likely have the biggest finals crowd that week which would be a huge achievement

 

[JJ]

Yeah, Sydney teams have the same issue, and we're not disadvantaged in the way that some of them have been - it's the right decision

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Do you reckon we’d sell out EP? If we got anywhere near capacity then it’s a no brainer. Not so much if it pulls low 30k type numbers, I’d much rather put some extra temporary seats into Mt Smart.

League fans from across the Country would go to a Semi in NZ. Eden Park would allow that to happen

 

[SpaceMonkey]

League fans from across the Country would go to a Semi in NZ. Eden Park would allow that to happen

If it means people who want to be there can be there then absolutely it’s the right move. Plus more big drawing events in Auckland strengthens the case for better stadiums.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

This is off topic, but in looking at our records at every ground in Australasia, we only have a winning record at three - Mt Smart, Robina and surprisingly, the SFS.

 

[Matua]

This is off topic, but in looking at our records at every ground in Australasia, we only have a winning record at three - Mt Smart, Robina and surprisingly, the SFS.

Huh? They've lost every game Ive seen them play there.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Huh? They've lost every game Ive seen them play there.

Custom Match List - RLP

List of matches played at Sydney Football Stadium (Old) in .

www.rugbyleagueproject.org

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Wonder if Matua was one of the 3,733 who watched us lose in 1998

 

[Matua]

Wonder if Matua was one of the 3,733 who watched us lose in 1998

Eek, nah I was in the UK at that time. But I was at the 2015, 2012, 2011 and 2002 hiding. Edit: And you can add 2023 to that list too. If we play the Roosters and I'm there it's an L.